


Counting My Cost

by ch0imineul



Category: H&D (Korea Band), Produce 101 (TV), UNIQ (Band), X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, chogyul canon, past seungseok, past yocat, prince!hangyul, seungseok idiots, yohangyul angels, yohangyul friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2020-11-02 18:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 40,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20808836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ch0imineul/pseuds/ch0imineul
Summary: The media had a field day when the nation's biggest group of companies announced that they have teamed up with The Blue House to restore the monarchy in South Korea.also, where Hangyul is the prince who Seungyoun refuses to lose all his inheritance to, and where Yohan is:• Hangyul's professor and bestie• Seungyoun & Wooseok's former best friend• Founder of #PrinceHangyulProtectionSquad





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> first time to publish a chaptered fic that's still a wip. pls pray that MB€ doesn't find this and sue me. i just needed to write this my princess au for chogyul

_ "Your grandfather is asking that you be in his office before 1:00pm." _

Cho Seungyoun sighed at the text message, closed the screen of his phone, and shoved it back in his pocket.

When your grandfather was Cho Hanshik, the pillar of The Cho Conglomerate—the biggest and most successful group of companies in South Korea; unrivalled and unparallelled in its national success—it really would be to your best interest to do as your grandfather requested. So he flicked his wrist over to check the time and realized that he had around three hours to spare. That gave him lots of time to scour Hanshik University (yes, named after his grandfather) for his ex-best friend and childhood friend, Kim Yohan, who was already a professor in History in the prestigious university.

Seungyoun really hoped he didn't have to seek the younger out especially since he had been suceeding in trying to avoid any sort of entanglement with Yohan the past couple years. Given the history of their fallout, it was necessary. And given their current endeavors, too, it had been fairly easy to not cross each other's paths since Seungyoun was a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yohan (although technically employed by their group of companies) seemed to be adamant about having anything to do with both him and Wooseok, too.

Turthfully, his history with Kim Yohan was one that Seungyoun didn't have the desire nor the time to dwell on now, so he really wouldn't be here seeking the younger out if what had to be done wasn't so urgent & imperative. So deeming himself mature enough, he chose to set aside the fact that he and the younger were no longer in good terms. There really were more serious matters to focus on aside from the possibility that Kim Yohan may or may not still hold a grudge against not just him but also Kim Wooseok—both his and Yohan's past lover.

To Seungyoun's delight, it was easy to locate the building of the History Department and with his ever-reliable charms, he managed to wring out Kim Yohan's schedule and office from the female members of the faculty without having to whip out and cash in on the "I'm-the-future-CEO-of-The-Cho-Conglomerate" card. Thankfully for him, the younger was apprently free until 1:00pm, too.

But Yohan didn't seem to share with the older's sentiment regarding the meeting, if the scowl on his face upon seeing Seungyoun in his office says anything. "What do you want?" was his (un)welcome greeting as he watched the older smugly look around the small space that he called his office. He didn't appreciate having Seungyoun of all people invade his peace and his private sanctuary that only select people were welcome in.

Seungyoun, on the other hand, held back a smirk when he realized that after all these years, he could still grate on the younger's nerves without much effort.  _Man, Wooseok really did a number on this guy, _ he thought, slightly pleased with himself and slightly sorry for Yohan. "I come in peace," he said theatrically, holding his arms out, palms open.

But Yohan didn't give him the time of day. He knew better than to believe the older. So without saying anything in response, he let his face tell the other that he wasn't in the mood to play stupid little games.

The older raised an eyebrow at this, pleasantly surprised & minimally impressed by Yohan's show of male bravado. Time has apparently helped the younger grow a spine, so Seungyoun indulged his old friend and schooled his features (but not after he childishly rolled his eyes at the equally childish display of annoyance) and began, "I'm looking for a student of yours--"

"Why?" the younger cut him off, not even letting him finish his sentence, arms now folded across his chest.

Seungyoun ground his molars and tried to keep his calm. "Because I need to get rid of him before he steals my inheritance from me," he said, forgoing beating around the bush, and intent on gaining the upperhand through the element of surprise. He made it a point not to break eye contact with the younger who was still seated behind his desk. This was what Yohan wanted, after all—the truth.

As he had anticipated, he had the pleasure of watching Yohan lose his countenance at his blunt answer for a second, so forgive him but he really had to let that smirk grace his lips now.

"You mean..." Yohan trailed off, slowly rising from his seat.

"Yes, I mean the Crown Prince of South Korea is studying in Hanshik University and is taking your History Classes," Seungyoun said nonchalantly, betraying the gravity and urgency of the topic being discussed. "And I need you to bring him to me.  _Bring me Lee Hangyul_ _._"

*

"Hey. Are you not going to eat that?" Hangyul asked Yohan mid-chew, dropping the honorifics since it was just them inside the latter's office. (Outside was an entirely different story though, where they have to address each other by "Professor Kim" and "Hangyul-gun".)

Yohan was still staring blankly at the cold noodles in front of him, as the question hung in the air. He still couldn't believe that the boy heartily slurping his noodles across him was the Crown Prince of South Korea; couldn't believe that his charming, hardworking student for the 1:30pm class; the self-providing Student Assistant who juggled part-time jobs just to send himself to such a presitigious university; his Taekwondo sparring buddy and same-aged friend during the weekends, was actually a prince.  _Prince Lee Hangyul..._

Yohan would really need lots of time to wrap his head around this truth about Hangyul's identity.  _Like, how does one fully grasp that your student & same-aged friend had actual royal blood running through his veins? Is there any available guide for dummies or manual for this?_

"I'm serious, Yongie," Hangyul chuckled, oblivious to Yohan's internalized concerns, "I'm five seconds away from helping myself to a second serving." The younger was now playfully eyeing Yohan's bowl of untouched cold noodles.

So for his stomach's welfare and also as distraction from his thoughts, Yohan momentarily shot a glare towards his friend's direction, despising the choice of nickname even as he tried to absorb the fact that he was casually eating take-out cold noodles with a living, breathing piece of history. "I'm eating," he muttered, forcing himself to pick up the chopsticks and pretend as if Hangyul's (and consequently his, as the prince's friend) life wasn't about to take a drastic turn. God, he hoped he could hold his meal down. His closest friend was the Crown Prince of South Korea for crying out loud!

For the next fifteen minutes, he tried his best to just let Hangyul go on about his morning classes and his part-time job woes as they silently ate their food.

And as he watched Hangyul animatedly re-tell the story of a drunk customer in the café last night, Yohan was slowly but surely filled with a sense of dread. He didn't want anything to change. For the first time in a long time, he was finally happy and content (again) and it was no secret to himself that it was all because of Hangyul, so would anyone blame him for being selfish?

He lifted his head and watch Hangyul tip his bowl to his lips, making sure to drink every drop of the cold noodle soup. After which, the younger sagged in his seat with a content smile on his lips, dragging the corners of Yohan's lips upwards in a soft smile, too.

Hangyul had always been especially good at that. Being content and finding something to be grateful about from things as simple as a hot meal, to things as sentimental as Yohan driving him to or picking him up from his part-time job whenever their schedules permitted. And that's actually one of the things that Yohan adored the most in Hangyul. Despite them being born into totally different social classes, never once has the younger expressed neither insecurity nor envy over being on the less fortunate end of the spectrum compared to Yohan, too. 

And Yohan really owed Hangyul—and the younger's attitude, personality, and outlook in life—his whole recovery from the emotional & relational trauma that Wooseok and Seungyoun inflicted on him a couple of years ago. Hangyul showed him the value of being grounded, humbled, and thankful for the many other things in life despite a curveball or two here and there; like appreciating the affluence of the family he was born into, the education he received, the bright future promised him, and the few good people that are still in his life. Of course, Hangyul didn't need to know that he was on top of that list.

It was Hangyul who taught him to find joy from the menial things in life that he wouldn't have otherwise experienced without the younger's initiative—street foods, karaoke rooms, midnight snacks in rooftops.

So to Yohan, it should be perfectly understandable how he was not looking forward to losing this all to some huge ass company's agenda to restore the monarchy... But then again, if there was one person who Yohan can trust to go from zero to hero, from rags to riches, and still pass the transition with flying colors and a preserved upright character and a humble heart, it was Lee Hangyul.

Yohan dragged a tired hand over his face, conflicted, as Hangyul went to fetch them water from the vending machine outside his office, in the same floor.

He could still recall how Seungyoun's eyes hardened and how he balled his hands into fists when all that the professor gave him in response was, "I'm not entrusting any of my students to you, hyung. Not to you."

Yes, he was sure that Seungyoun wouldn't do anything to cause physical harm on his student and friend, but he couldn't help but be alarmed at Seungyoun's determination to find Hangyul. He really couldn't help the sense of protectiveness that bloomed in his chest. After all, the events of three years ago were branded beneath his eyelids like a reel of nightmare that he couldn't escape everytime he closed his eyes... until Hangyul came into his life.

Yohan assumed that the older had come straight from the press conference which both President Han Wonpil of The Blue House and Cho Hanshik of The Cho Conglomerate just held, as broadcasted on national TV, before his former best friend came to see him. Invited in the said press conference were the biggest media outlets in all of South Korea, witness to the announcement of a couple of things, one being that Cho Hanshik had been spending the last decade working at restoring the monarchy.

Of course, this has led to more than half of the netizens to conclude in interviews and all over social media that the mogul had been planning this all alongusing the reputation of Cho Conglomerate to back Han Wonpil up and groom him to become president (which he did) for this sole reason.

Cho Hanshik neither confirmed nor denied these accusations but that didn't stop him from from announcing afterwards anyway that after years of searching, they have found the last suriviving full-blooded descendant of the last Lee King and therefore the rightful Crown Prince of South Korea. The name wasn't disclosed to the public but it seemed to Yohan that for Seungyoun, it no longer needed to be.

Because with Hanshik's announcement came the promise that should the nation vote to have the monarchy restored, the Cho Conglomerate will voluntarily donate all its assets to the National Treasury under the Royal Palace. And that this has been agreed upon by the group of companies' major stockholders. (But Seungyoun doesn't seem to be part of this statistic, based on their encounter earlier, Yohan inferred.)

This alone would have sufficed to expect this press conference to headline in every possible media outlet by tomorrow, but it didn't end there. Cho Hanshik also publicly disclosed that his reasoning behind all these was the fact that the money used to found the Cho Conglomerate was rightfully the royal family's, wrongly entrusted to his younger, greedier, more naive self by a full-blooded royal who was, of course, being hunted down by some people—the biological mother of the living, breathing Crown Prince; the should-be Crown Princess of her time, Lee Seol. She was the great great granddaughter of King Lee Jaejun, the one overthrown centuries ago, due to his brutal tyranny.

It was Jaejun's reign that forced the nation of South Korea to a mutiny which naturally resulted to its assuming democracy. Back then, the whole nation was dead set on erasing the Royal Family from history due to the many lives taken and destroyed during Jaejun's rule. But now that the matter about restoring monarchy has surfaced, no one's really sure whether or not the social weather reports of this age and era will still echo the country's distrust towards the Lees of the royal family.

And although it made Yohan's insides churn in worry over how the nation will receive his friend who was the descendant of a tyrant ruler, he was also blown away by the fact that that the names and dates and events that he had been studying for years all lead up to this—the boy in front of him whose eyes were sparkling as they waited for Yohan to not finish his cold noodles, so he himself could finish it. 

"You have the appetite of someone who's at the peak of his puberty," Yohan said, picking on Hangyul but also trying to liven up his own mood more than anything.

Hangyul feigned being offended but had the audacity to ask with his mischievous grin displayed in all its toothy glory, "Just one bite, please?"

Yohan snorted, shook his head, but handed his bowl over to Hangyul anyways, letting the younger take a bite bigger than "just one bite." _"_ _Just one bite" my ass_,  Yohan thought as he snatched his bowl back from Hangyul with a scowl.

"You're the best, Yohan seonsaengnim!" Hangyul sniggered, using yet another nickname that Yohan absolutely hated hearing from Hangyul.

Yohan sighed. He didn't want Hangyul to be subject to this socio-political mess of ginormous proportions. But destiny calls for his friend. He was the Crown Prince of South Korea after all. God, how can Yohan not self-implode from all these?

To Yohan's eternal worry, too, destiny apparently comes with a certain Cho Seungyoun who was heavily involved in all these also, what with the latter being the sole heir of Cho Conglomerate; bound to lose his inheritance to Lee Hangyul should the monarchy be restored.

*

Yohan stopped in his tracks when he saw Seungyoun leaning against the hood of his car which was parked directly across Yohan's own. 

Seungyoun gave him a little salute which Yohan ignored in favor of darting his eyes around to make sure that Hangyul was nowhere to be seen. They were still within campus grounds, after all.

"I'm not offering my student as a sacrificial lamb and for your manipulative talons to latch upon, Seungyoun hyung," Yohan declared straight up, as he walked towards the older.

"That student is the Prince of South Korea, Yohan-ah," Seungyoun gritted between his teeth even as his body maintained its relaxed position against his car.

"And you are bound to lose your inheritance to him, I know," Yohan flung right back, hoping to delay Seungyoun finding Hangyul for as long as he can. "But I don't see how and why that's any of my business. And you can easily pull strings—ones not attached to me—to get to your Prince Lee Hangyul. You are the heir of all these, after all," he said, waving his free hand all around them to pertain to Hanshik University. "So I don't know why you feel the need to involve me in this mess."

Seungyoun let two heartbeats pass in a cold staredown between him and his former friend. He had already opened his mouth to refute, when another voice sliced through the terse air between him and Yohan.

"Professor Kim?"

Both Seungyoun and Yohan's heads whipped towards where the voice (that was familiar only to the latter) was coming from.

The intruder sported a look of worry in his handsome face and this made Seungyoun conscious of how Yohan and him were almost chest-to-chest. So he distanced himself from the younger and turned to Yohan who looked like all blood has left his face.

Seungyoun's eyebrows knitted.

"Is he bothering you, Professor Kim?" the student asked, walking towards the two of them in a stance that was suspiciously both protective and defensive of his professor. The student looked like he was more than ready to knock someone out for his professor.

So Seungyoun alternated examining the guy more closely, and looking back and forth between the professor and the student. He wasn't blind. Yohan was sending signals to the student asking him to stay out of it, which the student outright ignored.  _Huh._

The student was wearing an oversized purple sweater, and was holding a stack of papers in his hands. Hands that were gripping so tightly, his knuckles had gone white.

It reminded Seungyoun of how Yohan's own stance became defensive, how his gaze became shuttered, and how his jaw tensed earlier that day after Seungyoun first shared how he needed to talk to Lee Hangyul, who by the way, was not in any social media platform.

Yohan has always had a protective streak but Seungyoun didn't realize it could extend even to his students. And that it was mutual. His students—well, this one in particular—seemed quite protective of his professor as well.

"Oh, I'm not," Seungyoun took it upon himself to answer. "Your professor here and I are childhood friends and I just forgot how tough a cookie to crack Yohan here is," he added, backing away from the professor with hands in the air.

"Yes,  _Jooheonie_ ," Yohan said, forcing out nervous laughter and widening his eyes a fraction at his student. "He's... Uhm... We're fine..."

The young man gave the professor a weirded out expression and took his own time looking back and forth between Seungyoun and Yohan as well. And Seungyoun could have just imagined it but he swore he saw the guy sizing him up with a threatening glint in his eyes.  _What the hell is up with this student? Why is he meddling with something that's clearly none of his business?_

Seungyoun was starting to think that there was more to Yohan and his student than they are letting on and it all intensified when his childhood friend stepped closer to the kid he called  _Jooheonie_ with  eyes all soft and gooey, whispering, but not softly enough for the oldest not to hear, "It's fine. We're fine. He's... safe. But I need you to go back now and leave us alone, hmm?"

Seungyoun tried to not whip his head back at the scene unfolding before him. He only ever heard Yohan using a tone as soft and intimate as the oke he was using now, towards Wooseok.

And all along, the Jooheon kid's eyes were fixated on Seungyoun as if he wasn't convinced by his professor's poorly worded request. 

But as much as Seungyoun wanted to call Yohan out on his suspicions, he couldn't help but envy him, too. Here was someone who Yohan only teaches History to, willing to throw hands for him. And the guy was easy in the eyes, too.

Seungyoun regarded that the student had a high, pointed nose, strong eyebrows, skin darker than most, intense eyes, and he actually looked too old to be a student. Seungyoun guessed that the Jooheon kid was older than him, if not as old as him. And he caught himself actually checking out Yohan's student a second later when he realized that the subject of his curiosity's gaze had shifted from being defensive to being embarrassed.

Despite all these, Seungyoun had the boldness to raise an eyebrow at the Jooheon kid with a shrug.

"My classes are over, Professor Kim," the student told Yohan in a gruff voice, "Professor Woo just bumped into me and asked me to hand these over to you the next time I saw you. I knew you were done for the day so..."

Yohan snatched the heap of papers from his student and looked over his shoulder to Seungyoun with a guilty look, only now realizing his display of closeness with a student. "Thanks for this, Jooyeon-gun. Very well then," then he turned to Seungyoun, "Hyung, I better get going."

Jooyeon?  Seungyoun narrowed his eyes. Wasn't the student's name Jooheon? He looked at the kid and saw an unfazed look as if the mistake was lost to him.  _Just what was up with these two?_

Just who the hell was this student? Who is he to Yohan? Why is there a niggling feeling at the pit of Seungyoun's stomach that Yohan was hiding the identity of the student from Seungyoun?

_Shit. Is Yohan having an affair with a student?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeh, seungyoun is stupid bcos that was lee frickin' hangyul
> 
> anyhoo, im not a monbebe but i love thay jooheon guy istg everything he is and everything he does tugs at my heartstrings skdjdldk
> 
> here's what u can stay tuned for in the next chapter: chogyul moments, yohangyul softness, answers to some questions u might have, LASSGOOO
> 
> need your help in this, dear readers. pls motivate me to update this by telling me what you think/like about this chapter and/or telling me what you want to see next. i cant trust my short attention spanned(?) ass alone dkdjdldk scream at me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/choimineul) or over at [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/choimineul) pls
> 
> ily all! also, CHOGYUL NATION RISE


	2. Chapter 2

One week later, Cho Seungyoun, Kim Yohan, and Kim Wooseok were all summoned by Hanshik to the most executive boardroom in the company building.

Cho Hanshik sat at the head of the table and easily exchanged pleasantries with all three of the childhood friends, asking about their careers and basically how their lives have been. The three, of course, indulged the old man while also skirting around the topic which was their friendship's fallout.

Seungyoun neither knew nor cared whether or not his grandfather was aware that the three of them were no longer the clingy friends that they used to be, but he got his answer when Hanshik himself looked the three of them dead in the eye and sternly stated, "I expect that you three are mature enough to set aside your differences from here on forward, as you were all called here for a purpose which I will disclose with you shortly."

Then the door opened and naturally, all four of them turned in curiosity, except Yohan who kept his eyes fixed on Seungyoun. The older between the two gave his old friend a confused look, and got his answer when in came Yohan's student from a week ago and when his grandfather rose from his seat, bowed at a ninety degree angle, and made to kiss the young visitor's right hand with a reverent, "Your Highness."

This dragged the three childhood friends to rise from their seats as well, for varying reasons; all of their eyes wide as saucers as they watched the unlikely scene unfold.

Seungyoun felt blood leave his face.  _What the fuck. _ He watched  _Prince_ Lee Hangyul's eyes widen in surprise, as he tried to bow lower than the old man and snatch his hand away. "Sajangnim..." he trailed off, backing up a step with a stunned look at his <strike>handsome</strike> face .

<strike></strike>Hanshik straightened up and shook his head slightly in minimal disappointment, "You will get used to it, Prince Hangyul, as you must."

And everything suddenly made sense to Seungyoun—Yohan being in such a panicked state when his student walked in on them in the middle of a confrontation in the parking lot, and Yohan keeping his eyes trained on Seungyoun right before Hangyul walked in.

And as if the knowledge that Yohan had successfully duped him that day wasn't embarrasing enough, it took all of Seungyoun's self-control and willpower not to gawk at the whole look that Lee Hangyul entered the room with, and to pretend that it had no effect on him whatsoever. He would be lying if he said that the prince didn't clean up really well. Because he damn well did. Too well.  _Oh well._

_Anyhow, that wasn't the point. _ Seungyoun cleared his throat that had dried up.

More and more people are becoming curious about (and aware of) the identity of the prince so Seungyoun guessed that it was only a matter of time before Hangyul's name and face were plastered over all possible media.  _And boy, will that cause a ruckus. _

His grandfather offered the seat at the head of the table to the prince which was to Seungyoun's left, but Hangyul refused fiercely, in favor of sitting beside his professor whose eyes were shining with pride as he watched the prince—his student. This meant that he was seated right across Seungyoun.

So Hanshik was left to do nothing but to heave out a resigned sigh before he nonetheless conceded, almost as if he was burdened to do as the prince desired.

Then Hangyul turned to them. To Seungyoun. And the older had to resist the urge to run a hand through his hair and pull at his clothes. However, he did note, and was puzzled that there was no sign of surprise in Hangyul's eyes when the younger's gaze landed on him. So Seungyoun just concluded that Yohan must have already filled the prince in on who was who here, for this meeting.

Hanshik encouraged the prince to be seated first, before the rest of them did and Hangyul...  _God, he was so transparent. _ The hesitation flickering across his face was as obvious as the sun and Seungyoun could understand. The prince was an orphan raised by a middle-class family, was still a student, and was the youngest between the five of them, so it must feel all levels of wrong to be seated before everyone else.

But when he finally did take a seat and the rest of them followed suit, Seungyoun finally had the mental stability to examine him more closely now.

The prince was wearing something more formal than the last time Seungyoun saw him, looking way more... princely than Seungyoun could remember. Not that Seungyoun thought Hangyul was ugly before (obviously) but with the younger's hair slicked back from his face, forehead slightly exposed, and suit perfectly snug around his shoulders, arms, and waist, he just had to give his eyes the privilege of drinking all that in.

Surely, Hangyul could feel Seungyoun's stare boring a hole through his side profile and the older almost wanted the the prince to look back at him for reasons he himself didn't know, but alas, Hanshik decided to finally kick the meeting off.

He began by introducing "His Highness" to all three of the childhood friends with an added, "But Yohan-gun here already knows that." The old man also informed the prince that he was aware of how the youngest in the room declined the offer to buy any more than the coat, slacks, shirt, watch, belt, and shoes that he was wearing at the moment. "I hope you would let us treat you the way you're entitled to be treated, Your Majesty," Seungyoun grimly listened to his grandfather say with the most polite grammar & tone. "All these will be yours soon. And more."

And Hangyul, the frazzled poor little prince that he was, just waved his hands frantically in front of him; leaking of awkwardness, and murmured that it really wasn't necessary.

Really, the whole atmosphere inside the boardroom was entertaining enough to be some scene from a movie, Seungyoun thought. Especially because Yohan was also avoiding having his eyes stray towards Wooseok's direction, who was seated across him to Seungyoun's right.  _Yup, still not over it,_ he almost wanted to say out loud. But it wasn't like Wooseok himself was wholly indifferent towards the young professor's presence, too. 

Lee Hangyul, on the other hand, was listening intently at everything that Hanshik had to say, casting worried glances at Yohan's direction every now and then, as the implications of his identity and responsibility became clearer to him with each word proceeding out of the elderly's lips. As if Yohan wielded some sort of superpower that could make all his big boy problems go away.

Seungyoun internally scoffed.

At one point, Hangyul's left hand even appeared from where he had it on his lap to grip Yohan's interlaced hands and Seungyoun had the first-row seat to the following: Wooseok rolling his eyes; his grandfather eyeing Yohan and "His Highness" suspiciously; and Yohan laying a hand on top of Hangyul's, patting soothingly and comfortingly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

No wonder Seungyoun thought Yohan was fraternizing with a student. The two exuded the level of closeness & intimacy that hinted on a kind of depth that Seungyoun himself wasn't sure he's ever shared with anybody before. Not even with his ex-boyfriend who was seated to his right, Kim Wooseok. 

So when Yohan started rubbing his thumb absent-mindedly over Hangyul's knuckles, Seungyoun's eyebrows met. He doesn't know why the sight irked him; he just wanted this meeting done and over with the soonest.  _Why were they all here anyway? _

As if his grandfather heard his question, Hanshik began, "Now that you're all properly introduced, you might be wondering why it was imperative that all four of you be present in this meeting."

All heads turned from the twenty year olds (who were still clinging onto each other with a shamelessness that still rubbed Seungyoun the wrong way) to Hanshik in anticipation.

"I'm here to ask you three—Yohan-gun, Seungyoun-ah, and Wooseok-gun—if you would like to accept an invaluable position in the Royal Palace as the Prince's Personal Tutors. Yohan-gun of course will be in charge of History & Other General Subjects, Seungyoun-ah on Politics, Governance & Diplomacy, and Wooseok-gun on Etiquette, Decorum, and Style."

"Sorry?" Wooseok disbelievingly raised his voice, as if the offer was not actually the privilege that Seungyoun's grandfather was making it out to be.

"Yes, you heard me right," Hanshik confirmed, unfazed. "You three will and should also be my most trusted people when it comes to the prince's image, publicity, and safety. We'll discuss the logistics further. But can I rely on you three?" 

_As if they really had a choice, _ Seungyoun bitterly thought.

*

"Look," Hangyul began as soon as the door closed behind Yohan who made sure to give him a concerned glance, and Seungyoun a glare. Hangyul gave his friend a reassuring smile that faded when he was finally left alone with Cho Seungyoun upon the older's request. "I'm as perplexed to be in this position as you are, Cho Seungyoun-ssi," he told his now-personal tutor. "I literally just found out about my identity last week when Sajangnim practically threw himself at my feet in this very room, too."

They still sat across each other and Seungyoun was still determined to intimidate Hangyul into doing what would be best for both of everyone—back out of the responsibility, and let Seungyoun keep his inheritance. He was miffed by the naivety of the prince in entering all this. "It's not as simple as you think, _Your Royal Highness_," he drawled out, sarcastically emphasizing on the title attached to Hangyul's name. "There are lives who you will turn upside down."

Hangyul winced. "You think  _my_ life wasn't turned upside down by all this? Having guards escort me everywhere, then finding out that I will have to move in in a strange place with strangers who I'm not sure I can trust?" he protested, making the older feel as if the prince was referring to him. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.

And right, Seungyoun almost forgot that between Hangyul having to soon move into the imperial palace which Cho Hanshik specifically said was built for Lee Hangyul, expecting the media  and social media to start following him around after his identity is revealed to the public, and having bodyguards with him 24/7, that this must be all so overwhelming for Hangyul as well. But was it as crazy as having your inheritance taken away from you? Seungyoun was doubtful.

The prince's words hung in the air between them and instead of refuting or convincing the younger to trust him, Seungyoun just took the opportunity to watch Hangyul intently. He watched the younger's thick eyebrows furry in confusion at Seungyoun's silence, watched him bite down on the corner of his lip, as if waiting impatiently for Seungyoun to speak (even as he chose his next words carefully), watched his hands wringing together, not doing anything to hide his anxiety.

Seungyoun almost felt bad for the prince and an apology started dancing at the tip of his tongue. But what had to be done had to be done. He can't soften his sentiments towards Hangyul now—he was, after all, the obstacle in the way of Seungyoun having things unfold the way he wanted them to.

"I heard you were looking for me that day..." Hangyul spoke again, a moment later. "Did you--" he stuttered, "What were you planning to do to me?" His eyes were now searching Seungyoun's and the older honest to god felt like a tool giving the otherwise innocent (so far) guy reason to fear for his own safety, and feel threatened.

And Seungyoun wasn't used to witnessing such a display of vulnerability.

In the world that he moved in, everyone was indifferent, ruthless, and almost inhumane. So you would forgive him for allowing some of his armor to crumble before the younger's pleading eyes.

He sighed and darted a hand through his hair.

He was hell bent on keeping his inheritance but hedidn't like how he's being painted to be such an evil person to actually harm anyone who gets in his way. He wasn't as heartless as the prince probably thinks he was and though it shouldn't matter to him what the prince thought of him, Seungyoun was conflicted. But then again, Hangyul's prejudice against him could just be Yohan's fault, so whatever.  _I'll just have to deal with Yohan some other time, _ he thought.

"I merely wanted to offer you to leave the country to study abroad. Ideally, before grandpa stepped in, but that's a bit too late now isn't it?" Seungyoun confessed in an attempt to keep Hangyul's thoughts from racing to god knows where. "All expenses paid until you graduate, including your adopted family. You may choose to have them relocate with you or not. Either way, you all will get to live a life more comfortable than now. I could easily afford that, especially if my inheritance stays secured. It's all the perks without the responsibility."

But a single monosyllabic "Oh" which was the only thing that Hangyul could say in response, and from this, Seungyoun knew that his answer stunned the younger. It only confirmed his suspicions that Prince Hangyul saw him as the villain here.

A guilty blush dusted Hangyul's cheeks and he tried to hide it by ducking his head but Seungyoun already saw it; saw also the reddening of Hangyul's ears and maybe it had been too long that Seungyoun was graced with such a soft sight that he felt his heart actually squeeze in fondness.  _Damn._

If he were to be honest with himself, Seungyoun would admit that the view was honest to goodness almost endearing. But he couldn't let the Prince get to him. Not at all. The last time he allowed someone make him feel this way, he lost not just one, but two friends.

"How soon?" Hangyul's voice cut through the silence, halting Seunyoun's thoughts from going down _that_ direction .

The older narrowed his eyes, a bit lost. "How soon  what ?"

"How soon will I have to leave if I were to take you up on that offer?" Hangyul asked hesitantly, leaving Seungyoun shell-shocked. "If it still stands..."

So as Seungyoun tried his best not to gape at what he's hearing, he also wished the Prince was someone more selfish, greedier, and at par with his manipulation skills instead. It would make things a lot easier and more exciting. He wished Hangyul wasn't here making him realize why Yohan was so protective of him. He wished Hangyul didn't make having to be a bad guy so hard.

"I mean," Hangyul added before Seungyoun could say anything; looking at his suit & tie, and looking around the room, "I'm really glad to know the truth about my Mom. But now I don't know if this is for me, you know? You're right. It's such a huge responsibility and besides, shouldn't a prince be someone smart and strong-willed and someone the people—the nation—will love and can rely on?"

Seungyoun could only blink, head screaming for him to open his lips and beg the prince to not sell himself too short. He couldn't help the guilt clawing on his insides as he realized just who he'd been trying to take down. Lee Hangyul wasn't a worthy enemy. If he learned anything about the prince from today, it was that the younger was really just a boy, complete with his own insecurities and worries. And damn if it didn't summon Seungyoun's own protective insticts, too.

If only the notion of losing his inheritance wasn't looming over him like a gloomy cloud of rain...

So Seungyoun casted a glance at Hangyul who was still looking at him with eager eyes, for sure waiting for him to tell him all about the details of him leaving the country to study abroad in exchange of being the Crown Prince of South Korea.

And Cho Seungyoun almost wanted to retract his offer and take everything back; almost didn't want to throw Hangyul into some foreign country with no one he can trust or rely on. No one to protect him.

*

Of course, Seungyoun's plans were foiled about half a month later when airport authorities informed the two of them that Lee Hangyul was banned from leaving the country (a "flight risk" as the airport authorities worded it) and the two realized they had no choice but to go back to the palace where they have all moved in recently.

That stunt of putting Lee Hangyul on Flight Ban was no doubt one of the million measures Cho Hanshik had put in place to see the restoration of the monarchy through.

"I can't believe you," Wooseok, who Hangyul found out was the Director of The Cho Museum, said, charging at the two as they entered the palace's main hall after accepting defeat and realizing that Seungyoun just had to come up with a Plan B.

Seungyoun thought his friend was accusing him, and he was ready to charm his way out of giving a half-sensible explanation about helping the prince escape the country, but a finger jabbed towards the youngest's direction halted him in his tracks. 

"God, I have never met someone as ungrateful as you!" Wooseok spat at Hangyul's direction. "Do you know how worried Sajangnim was to find out that you have taken all your things and disappeared to only god knows where?!" His voice was loud enough for everyone within earshot—meaning, the numerous palace maids and guards that were on standby—to hear each and every word clearly.

To Seungyoun's right, Hangyul looked like a deer caught in headlights before the shorter, skinnier male. Seungyoun guessed that in the past weeks, the youngest between them must have already figured out that Kim Wooseok was a force to be reckoned with—sassy, blunt, temperamental, and scarily smart. One you would want on your side, unless you're someone aiming for self-destruction or someone who gets kicks from pissing off males who had the power to physically hurt you just with their words and their glares.

Hangyul's grip tightened around the handle of his luggage that he has towed behind him, and looked completely lost and utterly sorry. He hung his head and offered no explanation.

And like clockwork, Seungyoun bristled in having to keep himself in check. In the past few weeks, if there was one thing Seungyoun was sure the prince was exceptionally good at, then it was making everyone around him feel like they needed to protect him. (Except Wooseok who was attacking him right at this moment, apparently.) Not that Hangyul had a weak character, no. He couldn't explain it. He just knows it was both frustrating and disappointing that Hangyul picked his battles too wisely, kept meek at the wrongest times. Like now. 

But then again, for the millionth time, Seungyoun had to remind himself that he couldn't and shouldn't change sides. Not now, not ever. It was, more than anything, for his survival.

"Thanks for bringing him back, hyung," Wooseok turned to Seungyoun with a gentler, more understanding tone, snapping him out of his thoughts and making him realize that Wooseok drew the wrong assumption from the situation.

_Maybe it was time to let Wooseok in on all his plans regarding the prince. _ Not that he's going to do it to protect the prince from Hangyul's wrath. He just wanted to avoid any more misunderstandings like this one.

But now, Seungyoun guessed it was only sensible to offer the explanation and jump to the younger's defense. So before he realized what he was doing, Seungyoun began, "Wooseok, I--"

"Hangyullie, what the hell were you thinking?!" Yohan's voice boomed from their right as he, too, entered the great hall, eyeing Wooseok and Seungyoun suspiciously, then the luggage that Hangyul was still holding onto.

And Seungyoun just had to roll his eyes. He's about had it from Wooseok's accusation, Hangyul's defenselessness, and Yohan's interruption. 

"Yohan-ah..." Seungyoun begrudgingly had to listen to Hangyul trail off in a soft voice that sounded as guilty as Seungyoun actually was. 

He would would rather Hangyul just throw him under the bus if only to end this dramatic spectacle that the numerous maids and guards were being tortured into witnessing.

So in his second attempt to take matters into his own hands, "It was me," Seungyoun simply declared, not surprised at how the three whipped their heads around to look at him. This really was just getting a lot messier than he intended it to be, so he shrugged and offered,"Don't come after the prince," he added, "It was worth the shot trying to throw him out of the country in a win-win situation."

"Seungyounnie..." Wooseok trailed off in confusion.

"I'll tell you all about it, later, Wooseok-ah."

And as Wooseok's eyes searched his, Seungyoun saw Yohan in his peripheral grab both Hangyul's luggage and hand to drag them out of the great hall. He sighed.

He had been doing a lot of sighing in relation to the prince nowadays...

*

Hangyul snatched both his luggage and bag from his friend as soon as they were out of everyone else's earshot and line of vision. "I'm sorry, ok?" he said.

Yohan put his hands on his hips, kept his back facing towards Hangyul, and took in a huge amount of oxygen which he released in a long sigh.

Guilt slowly sank in the pit of Hangyul's stomach. "I shouldn't have," he said, trying not to sound so weak and so guilty.

"Damn right, you shouldn't have!" Yohan half-screamed, whirling around to face his friend, "You shouldn't have thought that running to a faraway country would change the fact that you're the prince and you have a responsibility here! Most of all, you damn well shouldn't have trusted Seungyoun hyung of all people!"

_Right. _ Way to make him sound like the biggest idiot of all time. But maybe Yohan was right. It had only been two weeks since he's known Cho Seungyoun and although their lessons on Diplomacy, Politics & Governance have fared well, he had to remind himself that the man was still after his inheritance. That although Seungyoun might be tied to a responsibility here in the palace, his resolve was still towards doing everything within his means so that the monarchy wasn't restored.

Hangyul may not have attended the prestigious universities that his mentors graduated from but he wasn't stupid. He knows that both Wooseok and Seungyoun had the same agenda. That the former was protecting his beloved musem, and that the latter was protecting his inheritance, both of which will be turned over to the Imperial Palace if the nation votes in favor of restoring the monarchy.

If he had the education to back him up, Hangyul would also like to disagree that his own true identity and genealogy wasn't his fault either; that he didn't choose to have royal blood running through his veins. And he expected—no, he hoped—someone as brilliant and well-educated as Wooseok or Seungyoun would get to the actual conclusion that the whole fiasco about the entire assets of The Cho Conglomerate being turned over to the Imperal Palace, was actually no one's but that said company's doing.

Hangyul also found out in the course of his "grooming to become a worthy prince" that The Cho Museum, just like Hanshik University, was just but one of the numerous under the conglomerate's umbrella. However, it was, to Kim Wooseok, his brainchild, the fruit of almost his entire life's work, the nation's most priced historical museum, housing many of the Royal Lee Lineage's artifacts. It was Wooseok's pride. 

So the two older must really feel threatened about Lee Hangyul's whole existence. But the younger was understanding of this. He truly believes that anyone in their position would react in the same manner.

His History classes with Yohan also taught him that centuries ago, all the descendants of the royal family subject themselves to a self-exile; mainly as retribution, but also for their own safety also because the harsh reality was that there were some people who thought self-exile was not enough. An eye for an eye, they said. They sought vengeance; sought to wipe the face of the earth off of all the full-blooded Lees from the royal family the same way King Lee Jaejun took so many lives.

And much like his sentiment towards Wooseok & Seungyoun, Hangyul couldn't fault this kind of mentality either. Still, all these on top of what he learned from Hanshik himself about his biological mother during their first meeting were just about too much for him to handle.

His biological mother's name was Lee Seol and, fearing for her own life and being the last surviving Lee of the royal family, she deemed it wise to entrust all her money and the life of her only son to Cho Hanshik himself—a descendant of the Cho generation, the loyal help of the Royal Family before the fallout of the monarchy. But it was a wrong decision that would later turn the tables around, as Hanshik leaves the care of Hangyul to the wrong person who would later dispose of the infant to some random orphanage with no name, no record, nothing that anyone could use to trace back his genealogy to the royal family—all while Hanshik is left with a huge fortune that was never supposed to be his to begin with. This was the capital he founded The Cho Conglomerate with.

Until Cho Hanshik decided to right his wrongs about a month ago, Hangyul was really just but an orphan adopted by a loving family, struggling to juggle his time between college units and a couple of part-time jobs. So with how different everything was now, you will forgive Hangyul for still having trouble wrapping his head around all of this.

It was a burdensome responsibility, more than a privilege. Besides what does he know about being a prince? His life wasn't easy then but, at least, it was quiet & simple. This newer, extravagant one that will soon be open to the public to scrutinize and criticize all they want, made him want to runaway and hide sometimes. Especially when he realized that accepting his title as the Crown Prince of South Korea entailed having to sign off and obliterate all his legal ties with his adopted family.

That really was the last straw that pushed him to accept Seungyoun's offer.

_"You always told me you would do everything that you can for all the orphans out there who don't have as good a shot at life just like you did then, but now you have this. You're the nation's prince. Let the orphans know that the Prince's heart is towards them. Besides, you'll always have me, Hangyullie. With or without a legally binding paper, you're my son," _he still vividly recalls his adopted mother telling him.

And Hangyul wanted to tear up at both the memory and the realization that he almost poured both his mother's and Yohan's trust & support for him down the drain, by letting Cho Seungyoun talk him into grabbing the "perks minus the responsibility". Now, Hangyul was just overwhelmed by a sense of relief that he was here in the palace right at this moment, and not in some plane bound to some foreign country.

Unfortunately, the relief and comfort in knowing all this was short-lived. Because at the end of that day, despite his mom's support and his own resolve to see this through, the decision was neither theirs nor even Hanshik's. The restoration of the monarchy and crowning of Lee Hangyul as the reigning Prince of the nation was, at the end of the day, still subject to the country's votes.

Although Hanshik did make sure to let him know that if the nation votes to retain democracy, Hangyul will not really have to move out of the palace nor want for anything in his life ever again. But with his renewed sense of purpose and resolve (which he wouldn't have been reminded of, had Seungyoun's plan succeeded) Hangyul wasn't sure if the notion of being a crowned, hollow, useless prince sits well with his soul. Now, that some sense has thankfully been knocked onto his head by how the circumstances unfolded, _Cho Seungyoun & Kim Wooseok be damned_. He will fight tooth and nail to win the nation's heart and favor. That, or give all of this up—his title & the promise of a comfortable life, both included. He wasn't going to go through with this half-assed. Not if his life depended on it.

But today already enough trouble for itself, and Hangyul was reminded of it at the exhausted look on his best friend's face. It shamed him to know that he really almost messed it up big time—both his adopted Mom's wish for him and his friendship with Yohan. And he internally vowed to never be so stupid and easily swayed again.

"I know," he said in a remorseful voice. It really was the only thing he could respond with. Yohan was right, after all. He was still the only person who Hangyul could fully trust a hundred percent here and he needed more people on his side now more than ever; needed his best friend fighting for this alongside himself. "I know..." he repeated. "Are we cool, Yongie?"

He watched Yohan's shoulder sag almost instantly as the tension left his body and a small, goofy smile slowly graced his face. "I just don't want my friend disappearing is all," Yohan said half-jokingly, dropping the topic as quickly as he let his temper flare when he realized Hangyul was with Seungyoun. He never really could stay mad at Hangyul anyways. "Not without my knowledge and not without me."

The prince chuckled and punched Yohan lightly on the arm. "Fine, the next time I'm running away, you'll be the first one I'll tell," he joked right back, relieved and thankful for the understanding, forgiving person that his best friend was. _What will I do without you?_

*

Wooseok demanded an explanantion for the confession which Seungyoun dropped but the older knew that now was neither the right time nor the right place.

"Wooseok, I promise I'll tell you... under different circumstances," Seungyoun said, telling his friend with his eyes that he'd rather not do as he was being asked. Not with an audience present.

Wooseok nodded half-heartedly, retracting his hand from where he had it wrapped around Seungyoun's forearm. It was a result of him stopping his friend from going after the two who had just fled the scene. He was eyeing Seungyoun in worry as if there was something else that he was deeply bothered and concerned about.

But the taller male didn't have the time to examine what was troubling his friend now. He really needed to go after Yohan and the prince.

"You're acting strange, Seungyounie," Wooseok said with a grim tone, chin set stubbornly with accusation.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you're practically bouncing on your toes, itching to go after the two," the shorter male said, flicking his head towards where Yohan and the prince exited. His eyes dared the older to tell him he was wrong. Maybe then, he'll make sense of how his ex-boyfriend was acting.

Was he? Seungyoun frowned, and asked himself, but didn't find it in him to deny. But then he remembered, so what if he was? He didn't want his friend scolding his... student for things the prince had practically nothing to do with.  _That's all._

"And here I thought you've grown tired and out of it, really," Wooseok said, retreating a step back. He had that look on his face which told Seungyoun he was about to say words that the older will surely dread.

"Kim Wooseok--" Seungyoun attempted to stop his friend from saying any more.

But Wooseok was ruthless.

"I really thought you've stopped making a habit out of going after Yohan's shiny new toys, Cho Seungyoun. I thought I was the last one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not to be needy but pls do tell me what you think, my lovely readers ahsksjs i'm really sorry for writing wooseok this way, i cant betray the plot by not having an antagonist and im sorry it had to be himmmm~
> 
> anywaaaay, im posting this the day after chogyul went hard wildin' on kbs we kpop dancing to "bad guy" (yes, the one where they basically dirty danced with each other in front of an audience) bcos we need to have [SOFT HOURS: OPEN]
> 
> P.S. this is not to say i have gotten over it or that it has stopped playing inside my head. it's been almost twelve hours and trust mE, I'M STILL SOOO ALSJDLDK
> 
> like i said, you may also badger me for updates or ideas for this (e.g. what you wanna see) either on [twitter](http://twitter.com/choimineul) or on [curiouscat](http://curiouscat.me/choimineul). okie? ily all im soft and am friendly i promise


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I read somewhere that in Korea, pouring oneself a drink in front of your companion was equivalent to wishing them bad luck. So they pour each other drinks. It would be good to note this for this chapter and the next one(?).

Hangyul couldn't sleep.

Cho Hanshik just publicly announced that in exactly a week from now, the Imperial Palace will hold a press conference for Prince Hangyul's first official appearance before the press and therefore, the public. 

_It's the nerves._ He'd been tossing and turning for hours now, yet slumber was still elusive. He's already shed his silk button-down nightwear from the push-ups and crunches he'd attempted to wear himself out with, and tried to bore himself to sleep by trying to read the English books he's randomly selected from the shelf in his bedroom's study area. All to no avail.

So he wondered if Dohyon, his adopted little brother, was still up. If he was, maybe they could talk on the phone about random stuff until Hangyul falls asleep. But then Hangyul remembered that the kid has school tomorrow, just like how he has lecture with Seungyoun.

So as his last resort, Hangyul found himself heading out his room & towards the kitchen where he usually doesn't wander to during daytime. Because if some exercise and boring books couldn't put him to sleep, maybe some warm milk (and cookies, if he's lucky to find some) could.

He pushed his glasses up his nose and tried his best to be stealthy and quiet as he walked down the halls. He noted that there were still guards stationed at the courtyard wings, entrances, and exits. Not that it was surprising, it was just still surreal (and hard) to call this place his home now. 

The palace guards would straighten up and turn to his direction in snappy attention and alertness as he approached, but they relaxed as soon as they recognized the prince. And because it sort of felt weird and snobbish to just walk past them, Hangyul made sure to give each one a small smile or a quick wave as he continued his venture to the kitchen.

Once there, Hangyul didn't bother flicking the kitchen lights on since the light from the garden outside was seeping through the open windows anyway, and was casting a fair amount of light to the room.

Opening the overhead cupboards and on his tiptoes, Hangyul was feeling for a mug with his fingers when he heard the distant sound of shuffling and hushed whispers in the garden. So he craned his neck in curiosity and saw two figures standing in the courtyard, facing each other—Seungyoun and Wooseok; not yet dressed for bed and whisper-screaming at each other in what sounded and looked so much like a lovers' spat.

"But that's what my grandfather's last will states, Wooseok! That I get married before I turn twenty four and get my inheritance no matter what."

"No, Seungyoun," Wooseok's voice was serious and low; although not low enough for Hangyul not to hear. "I won't marry for anything less than love. Even if your inheritance and my museum were on the line. So shove that stupid marriage proposal back to your ass where it belongs and find a better solution. Besides, that would only secure _your_ inheritance and not _my_ museum ."

An exasparated sigh left Seungyoun's lips and Wooseok continued, "We're also running out of time and the prince's identity will be revealed to the public next week. Let that sink in. So unless I fall in love with you _and_ you've  miraculously fallen in love with me again—if you ever did before—you can consider that option off the list."

"But, Wooseok-ah..." Seungyoun hesitated for a second, "I did and I do love--" 

"Bullshit," the shorter male spat before a thoughtful and almost dramatic pause. "You know, when we were young, you were often envious of Yohan but you were never greedy, Seungyounie. You've changed. Sometimes, I feel like I don't even know you anymore."

Hangyul hurriedly shuffled a few steps backward in panic, hiding deeper back into the shadows in an effort to stay invisible. The two were obviously talking about something really personal and he had no business eavesdropping. Yet his mind couldn't help trying to draw conclusions from what very little he heard also. Something about marriage. Between Seungyoun & Wooseok. And then something about a plan which probably has something to do with stopping the monarchy from being restored and consequently, stopping Hangyul from being crowned as prince.

Hangyul's heart raced and his tummy sank in an unprecedented wave of emotions too many to identify & count.

He had thought for sure that Seungyoun had given up on his original plans and agenda but he guessed he was wrong. He'd obviously read too much into the newfound genial & affable consonance he had with Seungyoun.

Of course, he couldn't and wouldn't tell Yohan this. Hangyul sensed (more than he knew) that all three of his tutors go way back, and that their current relationship with each other now was everything but okay. But although Yohan was a friend that Hangyul could entrust his whole life with, and someone who he would take a bullet for, Hangyul knew that befriending and learning to trust Seungyoun was something that wouldn't bode well with his same-aged friend.

He really should ask Yohan for them three's backstory sooner rather than later.

Unaware that he's still standing in the dark, Hangyul recalled that time last week when he braved asking Seungyoun if they could skip their lectures so that Hangyul could sneak out to go see his adopted family.

Hangyul knew that it would be laborious to ask Seungyoun's grandfather's approval to go outside the palace just because he was terribly homesick but he could at least try with the Cho who didn't take everything way too seriously (except his inheritance). Yohan, his supposed first option, wasn't in the palace that day so he couldn't ask his friend to vouch for him to go on an unofficial trip outside the palace.

It took a lot of convincing and some bargaining but eventually, Seungyoun allowed him to do as he wishes at the condition that he lets a chauffeur drive him to and from Incheon, and that at least two bodyguards accompany him. "I'll take care of their questions," Seungyoun assured him as Hangyul stared at him wide-eyed, not sure what he said or did to actually be permitted to do this. Although he thought his chances were slim, he originally just thought that it was worth the shot. Not that he expected to succeed.

Hangyul could still remember how Seungyoun held a hand up to the bodyguards who made to open the car door for the prince, to do it himself. He gave the younger a serious look that told him to _"_ _Come home unscathed and in one whole piece and don't do anything stupid for both our sakes,"_ and Hangyul could only give him a resolute nod coupled with a small, "Thank you, Cho Seungyoun-ssi".

Seungyoun ushered him in then commanded the chauffeur who didn't even consider questioning whether it was approved by Cho Hanshik or not, to "Take the prince to the address he'll give you." 

Hangyul wished then that he had someone like Cho Seungyoun on his side... if that wasn't the case already.

As far as Hangyul could recall, the older never mentioned a Plan B in substitute to their foiled plans to send the prince abroad either. So with the setup they were in since they'd all moved in the palace with the three childhood friends as the royal tutors, Hangyul had thought that both he and the former diplomat had just decided to accept things as they were. That Seungyoun had come to terms with his fate; that he will give up the fight and let Hangyul work at earning the nation's love and votes in peace. But, obviously, he thought wrong and it was--

"Prince Hangyul? What are you doing here?" a voice startled the prince, causing him to whirl around in surprise. It was, of course, Cho Seungyoun in his suited glory, doing nothing good for Hangyul's brain which was still clouded with so many questions and doubts.

The prince watched Seungyoun run his eyes from his head down to his toe, then back up again so lazily, that he grew overly conscious of how his arms were exposed, how his hair was messy, and how out-of-place he must look, standing in the middle of the palace kitchen, wearing nothing but a sleeveless beater, his silk jammies, his specs, and his fluffy bedroom slippers.

"I couldn't sleep," Hangyul confessed in a voice which he hoped sounded neutral enough. "So I'm making myself a cup of warm milk," he said, turning around and resuming his task of reaching up to the open cupboard where his fingers had already grazed a row of mugs earlier (before he overheard Seungyoun & Wooseok fighting in the garden).

Probably gauging if Hangyul had overheard, Seungyoun asked suspiciously, "How long have you been here?"

And Hangyul would have answered with a lie if he hadn't jumped at how close the older's voice was. He didn't even hear him move closer.

His fingers stumbled, and next thing he knew, a mug was falling from the cupboard, and onto the marble countertop, shattering into a hundred smaller pieces. He jumped half a step back and winced at the loud crashing sound that he hoped didn't cause any alarm to the palace guards whatsoever. 

"Don't touch that," Seungyoun cautioned, walking to stand beside Hangyul in an attempt to pull the prince further back and away from the mini crime scene. But the younger was faster, and had already taken it upon himself to gather the bigger shards of porcelain with his hands.

Then Hangyul made the mistake of glancing at Seungyoun to tell him that was okay and that it was no big deal while his hands continued the motion of trying to cleanup the mess, so a piece accidentally nicked the tip of his ring finger. He pulled his hand back slightly and hissed, stretching his other arm as if to ward the older off lest Seungyoun also hurt himself. He shook his wounded hand slightly to ease the faint throbbing pain, intent on resuming his task like normal.

But Seungyoun would have none of the prince's stubbornness. "What did I tell you?!" he reprimanded, reaching over for Hangyul's hand—the one that was still bleeding—and tugged on it.

Next thing Hangyul knew, his wounded finger was being subjected under running water from the faucet. Then he (once again) became overly aware of Seungyoun and of how the older was gently turning his wounded finger this way and that as if it was such a huge cut that required a freaking degree to tend to, and as if Hangyul was unable to do it for himself.

The younger made to pull his hand from Seungyoun because really, he can manage on his own, but then his eyes collided with the view that was Seungyoun's side profile. And with his poor attention span and with how they were standing to close to each other, the prince was sucked into drinking in the lines creasing the older's forehead in worry, and the slight pout in the older's lips. His skin was flawless, his nose was perfect, and his eyelashes were so incredibly long that Hangyul wanted to trace them with a fingertip.

"There we go," Seungyoun whispered to no one in particular as he turned off the faucet, and used the same hand to dry their hands with some kitchen towels from the counter. "Stay here, I'll look for some medication to put on your wound," he said, eyes still examining the miniscule wound with hawk-like eyes.

_It's not even that serious,_ Hangyul wanted to protest, perplexed at himself for allowing Seungyoun of all people to do this for him.

"It's fine," he blurted out, guilty of feeling too comfortable about having the older's much smaller hand on his. "I'm fine," he repeated, half-heartedly pulling his hand away and cradling it close to his chest.

Seungyoun frowned. "Are you sure?" he asked with uncertainty.

Hangyul retreated a step back and looked to his right where the shattered pieces of the mug still lay in disarray over the countertop. "Yes," he answered with a nod. "It's not the worst thing that's happened to me tonight anyways," he added, stealing a glance at Seungyoun to see the other watching him carefully. He wondered if Seungyoun had caught on the hint he dropped somewhere between the lines.

Truth be told, Hangyul didn't know if he wanted him to or not.

The silence thickened and the atmosphere tensed and they both felt it so Seungyoun broke the silence by clearing his throat, and shattering what almost felt like a moment. "You should go back to your bedroom, Your Highness," he said, voice void of any emotion now. "I'll have someone clean this up and if you still want, I can ask them to bring you milk and cookies to your room, too."

Hangyul nodded and muttered sarcastically, "Wish me luck falling asleep." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and was about to exit when the older picked up on what was weighing on the prince's mind.

It seemed like everyone in the palace and everyone involved in restoring the monarchy all have nothing else in their minds except the prince's press conference next week anyway. Even the palace maids and guards and cooks whom Hangyul had all too effortlessly already captivated in the little time he's spent here in the palace so far, were. 

"If you're nervous about next week," Seungyoun began, hoping his words offered some comfort and encouragement, "Don't be. I'm sure the media and the nation will like you. You've captured the hearts of most everyone here in the palace already anyway."

And Hangyul almost asked , _"Does that include you?" _ but he remembered that just a few minutes ago Seungyoun was professing his love and proposing marriage to Kim Wooseok.

_Earth to Hangyul. Cho Seungyoun doesn't like you._

And boy, did that hurt like hell.

*

Seungyoun still had the image of a soft-looking, half-dressed, bespectacled Prince Hangyul lingering in his mind as he walked to the study hall the following morning, already a few minutes late for their lesson. He had slept in due to the most obvious reasons but of course, no one needed to know that. That, and the fact that he'd headed to the mini bar for a drink about one hour after his encounter with Hangyul because he really couldn't stop his imagination from going places he really didn't want them to go. Like the possibility that Hangyul heard him propose and profess a forced love to Wooseok, or the way Hangyul didn't welcome his help tending to the wound, or how he'd let himself go showing an unbridled display of concern towards the prince, or worse, wondering how the prince looked like while sleeping.

Seungyoun doubted the prince could look softer than he did last night, standing in the dark; with hair messy, feet clad in fluffy bedroom slippers, and arms, chest & shoulders bare. It was the very picture that scalded his brain everytime he closed his eyes to attempt getting some sleep last night.

But right now, he needed to get himself together for their private lessons. He ran his hand one last time through his hair, and fixed the collar of his plain white dress shirt before pushing open the double doors to the study hall, expecting the prince to be waiting for him.

However, he was greeted by the scene of Yohan standing up with a hand raised above his head, waving a mobile phone tauntingly at the prince who was seated in a chair, hands extended toward the mobile phone.

"Come on, I really don't have the time and energy, Yohannie," Hangyul groaned before dropping his head onto his forearms on the table.

Yohan snickered and took the seat beside Hangyul, teasingly petting the prince's hair. "Aigoo, our little prince did not get enough sleep?" he cooed. And Seungyoun couldn't remember when he last saw Yohan all relaxed, carefree, and playful. He'd almost forgotten how youthful his younger (ex-)friend looked when he was smiling.

Hangyul swatted his friend's hand away and whined, "Please delete that or else--"

Seungyoun cleared his throat, announcing his arrival and intent on catching the two off-guard. "Good morning, Your Highness," he bowed his head lightly towards the prince who had straightened up in his seat and was hurriedly combing his fingers through his hair. Then he turend to Yohan who has schooled his features into a more neutral and professional look. "Professor Kim," Seungyoun greeted him, too.

"I should get going," Yohan muttered to Hangyul not a second later, standing up and straightening his coat, to which the prince just gave a non-committal nod. It was time for lessons with Seungyoun anyway.

The oldest stepped aside for Yohan to exit through the doors, giving a light bow. "See you around, professor."

And Yohan just nodded and bowed in return, giving his friend a tiny wave before exiting the room. 

"Having fun goofing around with Professor Kim?" Seungyoun asked rhetorically as he walked around the long wooden table to occupy the seat beside Hangyul.

The prince didn't answer immediately, and just rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his eyelids in an attempt to maybe wake himself up. "He's like a kid on sugar rush twenty four seven, I swear to god," Hangyul commented about his friend, taking out something from his pocket and setting it atop his nose.  _It's those goddamn thin-rimmed huge glasses again._

Seungyoun paused from his flipping the pages of the hardbound book in Governance he'd already opened before him, and stared. He didn't expect another encounter with a bespectacled Prince Hangyul again so soon. It was such a sight to behold. 

"What?" Hangyul muttered, eyes darting awkwardly to random places in an attempt to avoid Seungyoun's gaze that made him want to squirm. "I know I look like shit. I couldn't sleep, okay?"

Seungyoun just shook his head neither refuting nor confirming Hangyul's statement. He then surprised the younger when he closed the book with a sound loud enough to make the prince jump.

"Jesus Christ, kill me with a heart attack, will ya?"

"If we start with lessons as planned, will you be able to commit hundred percent attentiveness?" Seungyoun asked, knowing the answer too well already. As if he himself could focus with Hangyul wearing those specs, too. A hypocrite, that's what he'd become.

Hangyul groaned and scratched his head. "Shit, I don't know. Probably not?"

"Language," Seungyoun reprimanded with a rasied eyebrow. 

"Geez, Cho Seungyoun-ssi," the younger continued to whine, now slouching in his chair. "I just can't shake off the--"

"The nerves?" Seungyoun filled in.

Hangyul whipped his head to look at the older in surprise and then nodded shyly. He wasn't above hiding the fact from anyone anyway.

"Don't tell me you'll be this nervous sleepless wreck for the six remaining days leading up to it," Seungyoun berated him, clicking his tongue. "You need to prepare well for it."

The prince just huffed and blew on his bangs, knowing full well that Seungyoun was only speaking the truth.

"So do you want to take the time to nap?" the older asked.

"No," Hangyul said with a slight shake of his head, "My mind won't let me go to sleep anyway."

"So the lessons then, Your Highness?"

Hangyul lurched forward, resting his chest atop his fists on the table, "No, please!"

"Then what are we supposed to do for the next three hours?"

"Free time?" the prince asked in a small voice, puppy-eyes wide and shoulders raised as if he expected the idea to be turned down before it even actually was.

"No."

Hangyul opened his mouth to respond when his stomach chose that exact moment to rumble loud enough for Seungyoun to have to stifle a laugh. 

The prince looked both horrified and embarrassed.

"Haven't you had breakfast yet?" Seungyoun asked, voice laced with the same mirth dancing in his fox-like eyes. The prince was really surprising him at every turn huh?

Hangyul chuckled awkwardly and scratched his chin. "I have, but it was just a slice of toast with some eggs. I didn't even have milk or coffee." He gave his tutor a sheepish smile that faltered almost immediately when he realized how relaxed he was being around the other. He was once again letting his guard down around Seungyoun unintentionally. And he seems to be getting worse at it by the minute.

Seungyoun, on the other hand, watched the play of indecipherable emotions across the younger's face. He was bothered that Hangyul was obviously still wary of him but to be fair, he was unsure if he'd ever given the prince to be otherwise comfortable with him being around and trusting him. If he had a choice, he would prefer that the younger didn't have to walk on eggshells around him, but it's just... circumstances. Ones beyond both their control. 

"Why don't we have the kitchen cook up something for us? Then while we eat, we can start running through all the possible questions you'll be asked in the press conference," Seungyoun offered.

Hangyul attempted to object again, but Seungyoun didn't let him and instead continued, "You will surely be asked many questions about diplomacy anyways: what will make you—or anyone else for that matter—a good ruler, platforms, national priorities, etc. Many will want to back you up on a corner with questions on those so let's take extra precautions. Fair enough?"

Hangyul, after mentally shaking himself back into common sense after a high-handed Seungyoun hit his heart a certain way, tried to push for his luck, "But isn't that like just lessons while eating?" He really just wanted to take his mind off of the press conference.

"Shall we remove the eating part then?"

"Wait-- No!" Hangyul refused, unaware that his hand had shot out to wrap around Seungyoun's forearm. "But can we make it a bit more... fun?" he tried, slowly and guiltily unwrapping his fingers from the lean, but firm limb of the older.

"Any suggestion how?" Seungyoun asked, rudely reminded of the fact that the prince was only twenty years old, hence the youthful innocence & playfulness that just seemed to seep out of him all too naturally. But it's not like he was much older anyway. So he just raised an eyebrow in a look of challenge, waiting for the prince to offer an equally productive alternative with his arms folded across his chest.

Meanwhile, Hangyul was struggling to tear his eyes away from how the older's arms appeared to be bigger and stronger in the smug position Seungyoun was in now. So he cleared his throat and just ran his mouth before he could start overthinking everything again. "Can we take turns asking each other questions...?" 

"I won't be speaking in the press conference."

"I know," the prince rolled his eyes, "But like any random question? So I can _partially_ forget  about the press conference?"

Seungyoun gave the prince an incredulous look which screamed,  _"Are you practically asking me to play 20 questions with you?" _ But a glance at Hangyul's face which had an expression conflicted between hopefulness and uncertainty won him over way too easily and made him say, "Fine. Whatever. I'm an open book."

"I doubt that," Hangyul scoffed, "But ok, it's on." Then he unconsciously did a small giddy celebratory wiggle of his body in excitement making the older shake his head with a chuckle.

And at that moment, Seungyoun just had to admit that Prince Hangyul was no doubt the single most interesting aspect of his life right now.

*

The press conference was over before any of them knew it and Seungyoun was beyond proud of how Prince Hangyul handled the questions that were obviously meant to disarm him or prove him unfit to be Crown Prince of South Korea.

Hangyul may have had to shoot worried looks his and Yohan's way a handful of times during it but it was clear that the prince's own brand of charms, wit, humility, and genuinity had won over majority of the media personnel present. 

During Prince Hangyul's first official statement where he talks of his intent to assume the throne as South Korea's Crown Prince should the nation vote to restore the monarchy, the reporters were only either clutching tightly & writing seriously on their notepads or typing furiously in their laptops. Nothing out of the expected. Only the feed of Hangyul's voice through the microphone and the sound of cameras clicking and flashing could be heard, until the prince announced that he was ready to take questions.

At tht point, it became slightly worrisome. At least, to Seungyoun, it did, especially when Hangyul glanced at his direction in a silent plea for help when the reporters and journalists started calling for his attention simultaneously, vying for their question to be heard. Seungyoun couldn't do anything but to hold Hangyul's gaze and give him a firm nod, hoping it communicated what he wanted it to:  _"You're doing a great job. You can handle this."_

To this, Hangyul just nodded back before taking a deep breath and starting with entertaining questions. And he didn't let  <strike>Seungyoun</strike> the  imperial team down.

As it turned out, Seungyoun worried over nothing because fifteen minutes in, his student has got everyone wrapped around his little finger. His answers may not have been delivered in the most formal & diplomatic of ways but Hangyul's tone carried a conviction and his eyes shone with a determination that drew in most everyone present for the press conference as it did Seungyoun.

At some point, Prince Hangyul even got comfortable enough to crack some jokes here and there, and even admit to not having the answers to some of the questions the media had just yet. But surprisingly enough, things didn't go awry. If anything, it seemed like the media left the venue confused, stunned, impressed, and interested altogether. They obviously had an assumption of what and how the prince would be like and Lee Hangyul may have not fit them but he proved to be a breath of fresh air and a story they can't wait to unfold instead, if the curious smiles and the fond expressions were anything to go by.  _Relatable_ , Seungyoun thought.

Now though, they were inside the function room of some high-end restaurant that Hanshik has reserved exclusively for them, celebrating the success of the press conference over some drinks that were served immediately after their dinner plates were removed from the table. And Seungyoun, of course, was going easy on the alcohol especially since both Wooseok and Yohan were still here and intaking any alcoholic beverage in the presence of his childhood friends felt all types of wrong, considering their history.

All of the elderly members of the royal palace's core team have gone home to their families, Hanshik leaving the care of Prince Hangyul to the childhood friends who were trying but failing to keep the awkwardness to themselves.

Seungyoun was seated across Yohan who had Wooseok and the prince seated on his either sides, pouring Wooseok another drink with a gently spoken, "I don't want you having too much to drink, Wooseok-ah." He frowned, his words carrying more weight than what the youngest among them four could understand.

"My alcohol tolerance has went up since then, Seungyounie," the curator of The Cho Museum singsonged with a shake of his head, downing the contents of the shot glass in one gulp, letting out a satisfied hiss afterwards.

Seungyoun still wondered how and why Wooseok was so comfortable referencing their friendship's fallout as if Wooseok himself wasn't the one most affected by it, as if Wooseok wasn't the one who suffered the biggest loss from it...

Beside Hangyul, Yohan could only scoff with a muttered, "Unbelievable," which the other three didn't miss.

"Y'know," Hangyul piped in, "You three should really fill me in on the juicy bits of y'alls friendship." He was slurring, resting his cheek on his hand, cheeks stained red and a goofy smile on his lips. "Shoulda asked about it when we played 20 Questions, Seungyoun-ssi."

Yohan turned to his friend at this, eyebrows meeting at how intoxicated Hangyul sounded and looked. His eyes then widened at the two bottles of soju near the youngest's elbow. One was empty while the other one had a third of its original contents missing. "Ya, you've never drank this much, Hangyullie! What the hell?!" He reached over to grab the not-empty bottle to set it away from Hangyul's reach, unaware of how Wooseok and Seungyoun were watching them.

Hangyul just giggled, shook his head, and let his eyes flutter close with an audible sigh.

"Hey!" Yohan turned to Seungyoun, "You were pouring him glass after glass? What were you thinking, hyung?!"

Seungyoun just shrugged, "I didn't know his tolerance was so low." Which was the truth. He wasn't purposely trying to get the prince drunk.

"And besides," Hangyul added, laying his head on his arms now, "You two were too preoccupied with watching my pretty professor and his alcohol intake soooo..." He hiccuped then giggled again. 

Wooseok abruptly just stood up, wanting to extract himself from the drama. He wasn't that too tipsy anyway so he's decided he can manage to get himself home safely. Which is exactly what he'll do. So with his back on the three, he fished for his car keys, but Yohan shot up from where he was seated and snatched them from him. "Hey--"

"You're not driving home at this state, hyung," Yohan declared. 

And Wooseok almost let himself enjoy Yohan's concern over his safety but he remembered he didn't have the right to... not anymore. Even so, he let his eyes meet Yohan's, and gave the younger a sad smile. "I'm okay," he sighed after catching and shaking himself out of basking too much at Yohan's attention.

Fortunately, Seungyoun came to the rescue, coming around the long table to offer, "Come on, Wooseok, I'll drive us home. Gimme the car key, Yohan-ah."

Wooseok was ready to accept but Yohan shook his head and insisted, "I'll take Wooseok hyung home."

Hangyul frowned. Not that anyone saw it. It seemed like everyone has forgotten that he, too, has had too much to drink. But he's a big boy and he was the prince. His options for a ride home weren't limited to only his professors. So he watched in masochism.

It was Seungyoun's turn to sigh, making his irritation obvious. "Yohan, I'll say it one last time--"

But Wooseok spoke up, too drained to have to deal with both Seungyoun and Yohan's egos. He cut off the oldest, "I need neither a chaperone nor a babysitter. You two fucking stop this nonsense. I'm flattered, thanks, but it's reeking testosterone here and I don't appreciate it."

Hangyul giggled. He was torn between wanting to watch how his best friend and Seungyoun will come to a compromise or preserving whichever dignity still has remaining by bolting for it while everyone was absorbed in the debate on who was worthy of driving Kim Wooseok back to the palace.

Meanwhile, Yohan rolled his eyes at how nonchalant Wooseok was being. His safety—nor anyone else's for that matter—wasn't something to joke lightly about.

Seungyoun held out his palm again. "Just gimme the keys, Kim."

"No, Seungyoun," Wooseok gently pushed his hand away. "You two stay here and get this immaturity out of your systems while I drive myself back to the palace."

"God, I've forgotten how stubborn you two are," Seungyoun groaned, rubbing a hand over his face.

Yohan snorted and rolled his eyes. "Look. Why don't we just all take one car since we're all headed back to the palace anyway?" he offered.

_Okay_ , Seungyoun had to admit that that plan was smart. At least, they would only have to worry about whose car they will take. It would save them the trouble of deciding who will take the prince back to the palace also.

But when he glanced to where Hangyul was supposed to be seated, he found the seat empty. And almost immediately, panic set in. Then worry. Then dread.

The prince was drunk off of his ass, too. So he better just be in the restrooms, or else...  _Fuck._

*

Hangyul was thankful he had changed into more casual clothes before heading to the afterparty; glad that he could hide behind his hoodie and his mask while waiting for his driver to arrive. It served both as protection from the cold and from the risk of anyone recognizing him. That wouldn't be a pretty picture since he was: One, drunk. Two, not with any of his bodyguards.

He'd splashed some water on his face and emptied a water bottle before heading out the restaurant. He knows he's had too much to drink, so if he was going to wait for his driver out in the street, he better make sure he wasn't swaying from side to side.

Taking a deep breath, Hangyul <strike>walked</strike> tottered along the sidewalk to rest against a street lamp outside the restaurant, and wished that one, he would throw up; and two, that driver ahjussi could come before Yohan noticed he was gone. (Hey, counting is fun when you're drunk!) He just couldn't stand by and watch his crush and his best friend play tug-of-war with Kim Wooseok as the price any second longer. Even in his drunken state, that shit hurt, okay?

"Freaking pretty professor," Hangyul grumbled under his breath, kicking an imaginary pebble on the pavement with the rubber toes of his sneakers. "Lucky boy, you are..." he thought aloud with a pout.

Wooseok was smart, independent, pretty, and desireable and although it was really an honor to have someone like him mentor Hangyul, the latter couldn't help but feel insecure. Not that it was any of the childhood friends' fault. "The prince is allowed to have insecurities, too," Hangyul whispered to himself in an attempt to comfort himself, only for it to end up making him feel even worse.

His phone pinged with a text message from his driver,  _"Will be there in about five minutes, Your Highness."_

"Hurry," Hangyul silently prayed, looking down the empty street and deciding to walk back and forth between the two streetlamps erected on either sides of the restaurant's facade. Maybe he can count himself the cracks along the sidewalk to sobriety. He blew hot breath onto his hands and rubbed them together.  _Now how do we get our mind off of the fact that we aren't a whole Kim Wooseok..._

God, was it the alcohol turning him into this mess of feels? He was supposed to be happy about how the press conference went and not feeling like some abandoned, unwanted puppy. He's had enough of that growing up.

But then again, it wasn't everyday that both your best friend and the guy you fancied would fight over someone who sadly wasn't you. He harrumphed again and rubbed his hands over his face.  _It's the alcohol, for sure._ He wasn't jealous. He was just extra feelsy and oversensitive because there was too much soju in his system.

_Wait. _ He didn't want to know who will end up taking Wooseok home. What if they've already decided and was headed out the restaurant now? He shouldn't be here. Hangyul panicked, turning to his left, then his right, then turning around looking for some corner he could hide in while waiting for his driver. Maybe he should ask the driver to meet him one block down, instead of here right outside the restaurant.  _Shit. _ His head started to spin from the abrupt motions and he had to stop for a while to press the heel of his palm to his temples with an incoherent grunt. He really shouldn't have drank so much--

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Hangyul jumped in surprise at the sudden intrusion, fight or flight response activated. He had half a mind to remember that he was a Taekwondo Black Belter but then again, Taekwondo and alcohol don't really make for an effective combo. So he decided to make a run for it, only his clumsy feet decided to trip on itself—damn his low tolerance for alcohol—so the next thing he knew, he was falling unceremoniously on his butt at the pavement.

He made to scamper away, tearing his mask from his face to scream for help, when Seungyoun's voice—ah, now, he recognized it—rang again, "For Christ's sake, it's just me!" Then right on cue, Hangyul saw a pair of dress shoes stopping on the ground before him and he just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him and his embarrassment whole.

This wasn't exactly the princely image he wanted to project to Seungyoun.

Still in all fours, he accepted defeat and flopped back to sit on the ground with zero poise and glared up at Seungyoun. "The insolence!" he accused, trying his best impression of kings he'd watched from dramas. "You dare give me a fright then speak to me like that!" But his head started to spin again, and he had to wince and cradle his head. "Driver ahjussi will be here any second now," he said, voice now softer. "Go away, you insubordinate subject."

He heard a sigh above him. "I know, I've asked him to turn back around," Seungyoun explained. "I'm taking you back to the palace. Get up."

Hangyul was slightly taken aback by the information. He didn't know how to feel about these all. Should he be thankful that the guy he wished would take him back to the palace was offering to? Should he be confused that his best friend left him behind for Wooseok? Should he ask Seungyoun how they decided on who takes who home?

Hangyul will just have to mull over these questions and sort this mess of emotions tomorrow when he's sober. "I don't take orders from anyone," he said, pushing himself up while swatting at Seungyoun's hand which automatically reached out to help him. Then he clapped his hands to rid of the dirt, slightly thankful that he didn't sway on his feet. "You ask my driver to come pick me up this instance, Cho Seungyoun-ssi!" he commanded with hands on his waist, a foot tapping in a show of exaggerated impatience & superiority.

Seungyoun just stared at him for a moment, as if he'd grown two heads and had the gall to chuckle and raise an eyebrow. "So you roleplay when you're drunk?"

Hangyul scoffed. "I'm a Prince. This isn't roleplay. Bow down, you peasant!"

And to his surprise, Seungyoun did; one knee bent, and an arm rested against his thigh.

"W-What are you--" the prince stuttered, backing up a few steps, eyes wide in surprise.

"Hop on, Your Highness," Seungyoun said, flourishing a hand before him in mock respect. "I'm parked two blocks down and I suspect you can't walk in a straight line. So get on your gallant steed, Prince Hangyul."

Hangyul huffed and whirled around, resolute on proving Seungyoun wrong and giving himself a headstart at stomping towards where Seungyoun must be parked. However, after getting past one streetlamp, he swayed on his feet and this time, was thankful when a hand shot out to catch him by the arm. Otherwise, he would have fallen face flat on the ground.

Then it all happened so fast.

Suddenly, Seungyoun was crouched before him and was effortlessly pulling him onto his back so that he can grab a hold of the younger's thighs and he was... giving the prince a royal piggyback ride.

"Hang tight," Seungyoun warned, hitching the dumb-founded prince higher up his back which managed to surprise the younger into wrapping his arms around the older's neck with a tiny yelp.

"You good?" the older checked.

"Don't you dare drop me," Hangyul threatened as he just accepted his fate and let himself be carried by Cho Seungyoun. "Or else, my trust in you will forever be broken.

"Didn't think there was trust to begin with," he heard Seungyoun say as the older began walking.

"I don't want a steed with snarky comebacks," Hangyul snapped, wriggling to be let down, to which Seungyoun responded by bending backwards to scare the prince. "Nooooo!" the younger cried, tightening his arms & legs around the older's neck & waist in reflex. 

"Thought so," Seungyoun said and Hangyul could  hear the smirk in his voice.

"You're so annoying," was the most intelligent comeback Hangyul could form. He was drunk, okay?

If he was sober, he'd probably be worrying about whether Seungyoun thought he was heavy or not. But with the alcohol still singing in his veins, he could only note how firm, warm, and broad the expanse that Seungyoun's back was; could only wonder who he saved in his past lifetime that the front of his torso was pressed against Cho Seungyoun, that his calves were bracketing the older's hips, and that Seungyoun had his hands firmly wrapped around his thighs. Will he even remember all these come tomorrow? Hangyul pouted. He really wished he would. 

It didn't take them ten minute until Seungyoun's car was already in sight. Ten minutes of suprisingly comfortable silence. Ten minutes of Hangyul being drunk at the smell of Seungyoun's perfume. Ten minutes of Seungyoun wondering what has gotten into him.

He did have a few shots of soju back in the restaurant as well, but was it enough to be used an excuse for how alarmed he was to see the prince missing? Did it warrant him the right to leave Woosok & Yohan with nothing more than a,  _"You win this one, Kim. Take Wooseok back to the palace while I look for your friend."_ ?

Seungyoun stopped in his tracks and slightly turned to his left shoulder where the prince had all too comfortably rested his pretty little head, lips half-open, eyes closed, dozed off in that shallow sleep drunk people fall into. And with only the moonlight and the street lamps illuminating half the prince's face, Seungyoun found Lee Hangyul beautiful. Young and innocent. So, so beautiful it made his heart hurt. Then he noticed that Hangyul's arms had also fallen limp and the prince was seriously now im danger of sliding off his back. He called softly, "Hey."

One more time, before Hangyul's sleep-ridden eyes slowly fluttered open, staring directly into his.

Seungyoun hasn't completely forgotten that he woke Hangyul up to tell him that they were almost there but as they just held eye contact with faces impossibly near each other, his words got stuck in his throat.

The prince's eyes turned soft and a smile slowly formed on his full lips. "Your eyelashes are so long, Cho Seungyoun-ssi," he whispered, "They're so pretty."

Seungyoun felt his ears burn. He knew the prince was still drunk so he wasn't sure if it's okay to let the butterflies cause a small riot in his tummy from the compliment. But how was he supposed to react when Hangyul was still staring and smiling softly at him?

Seungyoun drew his head back and craned his neck to better look at the younger, letting his eyes zoom in on Hangyul's lashes, too. Might as well return the compliment. "Yours are, too," he admitted, voice barely louder than a whisper, not knowing what to do with himself when Prince Hangyul was still studying him with eyes shining in appreciation.

Hangyul beamed even wider at that and expressed his thanks by bravely ducking to plant a small peck at Seungyoun's cheek. His toothy grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes still on full display even as he pulled back.

And  _that_ , Seungyoun didn't see coming from miles away. His breath caught in his throat and his heart tripped over a heartbeat. It was all too much. No,  _Hangyul_ was too much, that Seungyoun had to let go of the prince's thighs to gently set him down.

The blinding smile left Hangyul's face at this and he wrung his fingers, minimally shrinking to himself as Seungyoun paced in front of him.

And Hangyul just watched the older walk back and forth in front of him, wondering if he did or if he said anything wrong. Uhm. The peck was probably a mistake but he can't bring himself to fully regret it now. "Cho Seungyoun-ssi--"

"What am I going to do with you, seriously?" Seungyoun sighed, cutting him off and pausing to stand in front of the prince. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to look everywhere except directly at Hangyul who, for the second time tonight, felt confused and dejected both at the same time.

"Bring me back to the palace. Sajangnim and Yohan trusted you to do that, was the prince's answer.

Seungyoun chuckled but Hangyul couldn't detect any joy from it. "But do you?"

Hangyul just tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Trust me... Do you trust me, Hangyul?" Seungyoun elaborated, daring to drop honorifics.

"Trust you to bring me back to the palace in one whole piece? Yes," Hangyul admitted. Then he frowned because really, it felt like they were talking about more than driving back to the palace. And Hangyul doesn't know if he was glad to have this conversation tipsy or not.

Seungyoun just took a deep breath, and looked up at the starless evening sky with his thumb & forefinger pinching the skin between his eyebrows in distress.

None of them said anything for several moments and because Seungyoun looked dissatisfied with his answer, Hangyul added, "Or did you mean to ask me if I _trust_ trust  you?"

This made Seungyoun lower his gaze back to the prince who didn't wait for Seungyoun to confirm. The younger hummed as if to think deeply about it, even if he knew the answer to it already anyway. "I shouldn't, really. But strangely enough, yes. Yes, I trust you, Cho Seungyoun-ssi."

"I still could easily take you down," the older pointed out, voice strangled as if he was now convincing Hangyul to change his mind. As if he was torn between gratitude and begging the prince to not trust him.

"But you wouldn't, would you?" Hangyul let his eyes shine with hope then regretted it instantly even if he knew in his heart of hearts that Seungyoun really wouldn't. He bit down on his lip thoughtfully, unsure what's wise and what isn't. His alcohol-saturated brain wasn't as reliable as it usually was,  _dammit_ .

Then he caught Seungyoun watching him with eyes wild, confused, and glazed over and Hangyul felt his face heat up as a blush dusted his already pinkish cheeks an even darker shade. "Besides, if you still wanted to, you could have done it. Before the press conference... which you, by the way, helped me prepare for," he whispered, avoiding the older's gaze. He busied his hands with the hem of his hoodie.

"I hope you could forget that," Seungyoun breathed out, stepping closer now, "That I once wasn't on your side."

Hangyul fought the urge to take a step back and nodded dumbly, frozen at how close the older was now. He should be celebrating that Cho Seungyoun was basically promising to be on his side from now on but all he could do was feel Seungyoun's puffs of breath blowing on his lips. And Hangyul kind of already knew where this was headed, especially because they both know they were both slightly intoxicated. But he couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything, couldn't think of anything other than what was about to happen. And how much he'd daydreamed for this to happen.

So when Seungyoun raised both hands to Hangyul's cheeks, the prince didn't pull back. He just let the oxygen be knocked out of his lungs from the storm of sensations.

Then the older bent down and sought the prince's eyes for permission and gave him the option to pull back. But Hangyul just closed his eyes and raised his hands to gingerly wrap them around the older's wrists. And he gave a small nod.

Seungyoun inhaled harshly. "And I hope you forget this also," were his last words before he ducked and gently pressed his lips against the prince's.

And Hangyul welcomed the kiss, wishing he would still remember this by tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didn't plan for this to be so long but i didn't want this to be just fluff. i made it a point to have the plot move forward with every update too soooo lemme know what you think, please :(
> 
> also the last scene with seungyoun giving a drunk hangyul a piggyback ride was based off of one of my favorite scenes from the same drama which i got this whole au idea from. it was aljdkdkdls
> 
> P.S. im @choimineul on twt uwu


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I feel like there's not too many people who are still reading this/waiting for this but thanks for those who are still here. A comment would be lovely. :(

Did Seungyoun regret the kiss?  _ No. _

He could still remember how Hangyul looked when Seungyoun drew his head back after the first press of their lips together; could still recall how he kept his own hands on the younger's cheeks and let his eyes drink in Hangyul whose eyes were still closed, lips semi-parted, chin tipped up as if he was waiting for Seungyoun to continue. Expecting him to. Wanting him to.

But Seungyoun held himself still and Hangyul's eyes flew open as if the gravity of what had just happened hit him like a bulldozer. He might have drawn apart and pushed Seungyoun away if the older hadn't once again ducked to kiss him softly on the lips. (Mostly because it felt, to Seungyoun, like the only right thing to do at that moment.)

And maybe Hangyul felt the same way what with the almost immediate sigh of surrender that he fed against the older's lips.

Seungyoun drew apart once again, pressing his forehead against the prince's as they let their soft breaths mingle in pretty swirls in the small space between their lips.

"Seungyoun-ssi..." Hangyul whispered in the quiet of the night, running the tip of his nose up against the side of Seungyoun's.

If Seungyoun didn't know any better, he would think it was the prince's way of asking him for more. And Seungyoun had to draw in a sharp breath at the tenderness of the moment, letting his right thumb rub over and across Hangyul's full bottom lip. Back and forth, softly, as he would the petal of a newly blossomed flower. Careful. In wonder. "I'm sorry,  _ Hangyul-ah _ ... I-I just--"

"I'm not," Hangyul interjected in a whisper. "I'm not sorry." He could faintly recognize the need to react at Seungyoun dropping the honorifics by addressing him so fondly but he just didn't have the care nor the strength for that now. No, he just wanted Seungyoun's lips on his again. So he shook his head as petulantly as an impatient toddler would, and adjusted his hold on the older's wrists to convey that.

And that was all the encouragement that Seungyoun needed before he searched Hangyul's eyes for any sign of reluctance. For anything that might stop him from taking what he wanted. So when he found none, he let his eyes watch his thumb caress the prince's bottom lip before Hangyul took a treacherous step towards him, closing any kind of distance between them.

It was Seungyoun's cue to surrender. So the two of them met halfway.

The kiss was chaste and slow and innocent and drawn out. Just the patient movement of lips against each other; testing. Tasting. Feeling.  _Feelings_.  Strong albeit confusing ones. Too much of it. And it drove Seungyoun insane.

Still did up to this day, even if that kiss happened around a week ago already. It still drove Seungyoun mad whenever he had the time & chance to replay the scene inside his head, or whenever Hangyul so much as looked him straight in the eye or talk (even to someone else) in that pouty way of his.

So when his grandfather personally informed him that he was being laid off of the responsibility as one of the prince's tutors, he didn't know if he would cry in relief or demand an explanation. Though it was clarified that he was still to be involved with the prince's publicity & official schedules, it kind of unsettled him that it happened after the kiss.

His replacement was Han Seungwoo, a sunbae of his in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Unlike Seungyoun, Seungwoo had a degree in education making him way more qualified than Seungyoun. But that wasn't the point. The point was how Seungyoun found out from his grandfather that being let off of tutoring the prince was per Prince Hangyul's request.

And it confused him a whole lot. He wondered if it was Hangyul's  _ reactive reaction _ to the kiss and that the prince was actively avoiding him now... If the younger deemed the kiss a regret-filled memory. A mistake.

_Did Hangyul even remember the kiss?_

To be fair though, Seungyoun had never once put in the effort to talk to Hangyul to find these things out for himself and hopefully set the record straight. Neither did he have any plans to. Not until he knew why it mattered to him so much. Not until he could explain why hearing Seungwoo & Hangyul's peals of laughter floating from the study hall to his bedroom early in the morning, would give him zero appetite for breakfast.

It was all so foreign to him and it didn't make sense at all. Whenever the prince was within a five metre radius of him or was in sight, all he wanted to do was run. But then whenever the prince was out of the palace or just plainly out of sight, Seungyoun would be plagued with worry and curiosity as to what Hangyul was doing, who he was with.

*

Hangyul's eyes widened in horror as he watched Kim Wooseok, the Head Curator of Cho Museum, pour himself a shot.

The older had invited him out for a drink and Hangyul, although skeptic about the older's motives, viewed it as maybe his chance to be in Wooseok's good books.

Their relationship had mostly been civil, although a bit too stiff and professional for Hangyul's liking. He had thought at first that it was just Wooseok's personality to seem really cold & calculating but he had seen the older act with warmth & fondness towards both Seungyoun and Yohan. Wooseok also wasn't distespectful or rude towards the palace maids or guards, so Hangyul figured it was just him.

Kim Wooseok probably just, for some reason, hated Hangyul's guts.

"Kim Wooseok-ssi, it's--" the younger attempted to call the curator out.

"It's rude to pour yourself a drink in front of someone. I know," the older cut him off sarcastically with a nonchalant wave of his free hand. "It's basically me wishing you bad luck, but it's not like danger or misfortune could lay a finger on you, Hangyul-ssi. As if that was a possibility," Wooseok scoffed through his throat that should be burning from the alcohol, "As if you don't have a handful of bodyguards—both uniformed & civilian—watching us. Watching you. Prince Hangyul. Your Highness."

_Your Highness._

Hangyul hung his head, still not fully used to the honorific, and because he knew he wasn't just imagining things when he detected a bitter tone to the reverent title.

"So," Wooseok said, downing all the contents of the shot glass in one gulp. "Any idea why I invited you out for a drink?"

Hangyul just stared at the older man in surprise. He could already feel the tension Wooseok was emanating and said tension was directed mainly at him. So Hangyul, in a show of resilience, ducked his head and forced his hands to go through the motion of pouring himself a drink also.

This made Wooseok raise an eyebrow as he tried to hold back a smirk at the prince's defiance. If he wasn't so full of bitterness towards the younger, maybe he could admire the balls Hangyul seemed to possess, too.

So Wooseok also poured himself another glass. "I won't beat around the bush, hmm?" he started, cold eyes glinting with mischief. "Let me start with you requesting a replacement tutor for Seungyounie."

Hangyul held his breath.

When he realized that he could ask Cho Hanshik for another tutor to replace Seungyoun with (without having to provide an at least half-believable reason) just because he was prince, he immediately took the chance. But Hanshik, even with his old age, was probably still as sharp as his tutors. So Hangyul knew that the old man, though not fully convinced that the prince had a valid reason to practically fire Seungyoun, had granted Hangyul's request.

But it was imperative. At least, to Hangyul, it was. After they shared more than one kiss under a streetlamp and under the slight influence of alcohol, he just couldn't face Seungyoun without blushing furiously or his hands itching to reach out for his warmth. Or without expecting more, just as he did that night when he so shamelessly borderline begged for Seungyoun to kiss him.

What's even worse was that after the kiss, Seungyoun always looked like he wanted to run the opposite direction first chance he got, whenever they bumped into each other in the palace outside of their lectures.

So Hangyul let their series of lectures in the week following the kiss pass as uneventfully and "normal" as possible. But, for the benefit of all parties involved, he'd deemed it better to have less interactions (if not none at all) with the older. So he immediately asked for a replacement tutor once the week was over. But he still made sure Seungyoun will be re-assigned to another task within the imperial team; within the palace. He just didn't want anyone to be uncomfortable. Now, Seungyoun didn't have to avoid him like the plague and now, Hangyul wouldn't have to suffer seeing the almost disgusted expression on the older's face whenever he so much as glanced Hangyul's way.

"You think playing hard to get will make Seungyoun chase after you?" Wooseok landed the first verbal punch which got Hangyul admittedly shaken out of his thoughts and well, just plainly shaken.

"W-What do you mean, Wooseok-ssi?"

Woosok rolled his eyes, able to see through Hangyul. So he continued without addressing the prince's obviously-fake confusion, "What, just because Seungyounie offered to drive you home after your first press conference, you now think that there's actually something going on between you two?"

The prince reared his head back, feeling the words slice through him. He was being confronted and attacked blatantly, yet he couldn't bring himself to deny Wooseok's words also. And if before he was just guilty, now he was scared to his wits' end realizing that if Wooseok had him pegged down so easily, then it must be the same for Seungyoun. Which probably explained why Seungyoun was avoiding him. Which also then implied that whatever enchanted wonder Hangyul felt from that kiss that night was, sadly, one-sided.

The prince floundered, unable to form words at the feeling of being cornered.

And once again, the older took the opportunity which Hangyul's silence presented, to press further, "You think your love life—if you could even consider yours as one—is more important than someone's actual job? Is it not enough that you are taking his inheritance from him? Is it not enough that you are taking my museum from me? Are you that selfish? After taking Yohan for yourself as your best friend—if that's all he is to you—you think you have a chance at Seungyoun, too?"

"I-I don't--" Hangyul attempted to deny, eyes darting around the room wildly, hoping no one was either eavesdropping or recording them.

But Wooseok didn't let him finish, leaning a little bit forward on the table and lowering his voice. And Hangyul knew it wasn't to filter the audience for their discussion. It was more of a non-verbal attempt to intimidate the younger. "I have seen how you look at Seungyounie, Hangyul-ssi. I'm not blind, nor am I stupid." Then the hard look on Wooseok's face faltered for a second, "I've seen Yohan look at you that exact same way, too."

Satisfied with the look on prince's face and adamant about dwelling on how that last part made him feel, Wooseok leaned back on his seat to pour himself (and Hangyul, too, this time) another glass, wasting no time to drain the contents onto his mouth. "Drink up, Your Majesty. You look like you need it."

Hangyul had never been so stripped off of his pretense so harshly. Wooseok has caught him both off-guard and red-handed. He thought for sure he was doing an okay-enough job hiding his feelings for Seungyoun but he guessed he was wrong. But that wasn't the only thing because if he understood Wooseok clearly, the older was definitely implying that Yohan appeared to be pining for him as well...?

_What the hell? _ Yohan was  _so_ not into Hangyul. They were best friends. And neither of them had any desire to take it any further than that. Yes, it was given that Yohan was highly protective of him but the prince never felt that it stemmed from some form of attraction, instead of just pure, platonic friendship.

Hangyul raised his eyes to watch Wooseok drum his fingers on the table, while waiting for him to reply. It was his turn and the ball was on his court. "I'm not trying to compete with you, Wooseok-ssi," Hangyul said, hoping his voice sounded steady enough and not at all intimidated. He knew Wooseok was waiting for him to either confirm or deny the assumptions about Hangyul liking Seungyoun or Yohan liking him. But not doing just that could possibly the only thing he could do to remove Wooseok's upperhand on the situation. So Hangyul thought it better not to comment on either. Just to spite the older, too. 

"Is that so? So you'd be okay for us two to text them both asking for a ride home because we're tipsy?"

"But we aren't!"

" I'm not. You almost are," Wooseok pointed out, stifling a giggle at how lightweight the prince was. "But that doesn't matter," he continued, clearing his throat and schooling his features into a more serious expression. "They don't need to know that. I really just want to see the priceless look on your face when you realize the one thing I need you to."

Hangyul sighed, tired of the riddles, somehow because he can already feel his cheeks grow warm from the alcohol. So he wore a question mark on his face to prompt Wooseok to continue.

And the older complied. "Yohannie and Seungyounie will come running here. For me. And not for you. You know that, right?" the older said, tracing the rim of the shotglass with his middle fingertip.

Hangyul almost winced at the confident pronouncement of the other and he could almost make out the protest that the prince was trying so hard not to voice out.

Prince Hangyul was such a delight to provoke, Wooseok thought. He was so transparent and timid, yet also so strong and resilient. He could see why his ex-boyfriends would fancy the prince.

Both Seungyoun & Yohan were never the type to look at just the outside appearance and though Wooseok would be the first one to say that the prince and him had more differences than similarities, that he could see why anyone would take a liking to Lee Hangyul, prince or not. Not that he lacked anything in the looks department, too. Wooseok could understand why the prince shot to stardom as both a social media star and the nation's sweetheart right after his first appearance to the public. He was as blessed with ruggedly handsome looks as he was endowed with a pleasant & likeable personality.

"What are you trying to prove, Wooseok-ssi?" the younger sighed, almost shivering at how cold Wooseok's eyes have become.

Then when the older was about to speak, Hangyul almost wanted to take his question back. The look on the older's face told him that he wouldn't like the next words that would proceed from Wooseok's lips. And he wouldn't be wrong in that.

"That I ultimately win. That even if the nation votes to restore the monarchy and crown you as prince; that even if the media & the public couldn't get enough of Prince Hangyul; that even if the Cho Conglomerate will turn over all its assets to you—to the Royal Family once these happen; that even if Seungyounie will forcefully have to sign his inheritance off to you; that even if my museum is turned over to the Royal Palace that ultimately answers to you... that you are choosing to play the wrong cards here, Your Highness. That even after having all these, being Crown Prince will never allow for any corner in your heart for either Yohan or Seungyoun. That you'll still be that lonely orphan who is destined to live his life alone and lonely because at the end of the day, I am the one that Yohan and Seungyoun both wants."

*

Hangyul may have low tolerance for alcohol but he's always had a high tolerance for the cold. However, he couldn't seem to keep still as Wooseok and him waited outside the bar to see who between Seungyoun and Yohan will arrive first, and to come pick who up. He didn't know if he was fidgeting from the temperature or just antsy in anxiety over how the night would end.

Wooseok had really gone ahead with texting both his childhood friends asking for a ride home, while also mentioning in passing that he was with an equally-tipsy prince. And Hangyul sort of already felt that the balance was tipped to the older's favor but I guess you could just say he wanted to stop the guessing game with Seungyoun also. And maybe letting Wooseok conclude the night his preferred way was the way to go. That, or Hangyul was just plain stupid & masochistic.

"Who do you think will come first?" Wooseok asked, hands on the pockets of his coat, not sparing a glance towards the prince. "Because I know they will both come."

Hangyul ducked his head to hide his shivering lips behind his thick scarf and switched his weight between one foot and the other, back and forth, and didn't offer an answer. He was nervous as hell.

To be honest, Wooseok asked the wrong question. It wasn't a question of who Hangyul wanted to come first or second. It was a question of  _for whom_ Seungyoun will come—for Wooseok or Hangyul.

But then again, Wooseok had just practically declared war against him.

Hangyul chanced a glance at Wooseok and huffed. He would never in his wildest dreams think that he stood a chance against the smart, mysterious, gorgeous man that Kim Wooseok was. So he really had to try to get over Seungyoun already. Only, the notion seemed difficult. (But not impossible. He just needed time.)

The prince hadn't noticed that he hasn't responded to Wooseok's question until the latter spoke again. "Guess we got our answer now, Your Highness."

Hangyul's eyes widened as he saw Wooseok straighten up and adorn a small and dainty smile on his face, before walking towards where Seungyoun was; Kim Yohan several feet behind them.

Both of them came after all. Seungyoun, obviously for Wooseok. And Yohan, probably to be the honorable one who takes home whoever will be left behind. 

And Hangyul's heart could only sink and his knees threatened to give beneath him as he watched Seungyoun and Wooseok meet each other halfway in a hug that the shorter one between the two initiated, but the taller one returned nonetheless.

"You came," Wooseok giddily said, throwing himself onto the older's chest and wrapping his arms around his waist.

In Hangyul's peripheral, he saw Yohan stop in his tracks at the sight of the two shamelessly hugging in the middle of the street.

_Huh_.  Guess it wasn't just Hangyul's heart breaking tonight.

Hangyul wanted to look away, and he almost successfully had if Seungyoun's stare hadn't caught and trapped his, even while his arms had come around Wooseok's shoulders.

"Have you had too much to drink again?" Seungyoun asked worriedly. Eyes on Hangyul, but talking to Wooseok.

The prince balled his hands into fists on his sides, hoping he could dig his fingers hard enough against the flesh of his own palms so that the pain in his chest was numbed. He wanted to answer Seungyoun. He wanted so badly to be the one in Seungyoun's arms; on the receiving end of the softest, and most worried tone he has ever heard the oldest use.

Then Seungyoun spoke again, eyes not leaving Hangyul's, "Did you wait out here in the cold for me?" His perfect eyebrows were knitted in grave, genuine worry. 

But not over Hangyul. Never for him.

Hangyul's chest rose and fell in the effort to keep his emotions from surfacing. He knew in his mind that Seungyoun wasn't talking to him but his heart has yet to catch up to that fact.

Until Wooseok answered loud enough for everyone to hear, "I did. But I knew you'd come."

"I would always come. Hadn't I told you already? Or have you really  forgotten that night ? When I told you that you can always  trust me..." Seungyoun said  <strike> with carefully chosen words </strike> before finally letting his gaze fall away from Hangyul's.

*

"Guess we both got dumped tonight," Yohan sighed, breaking the silence between his best friend and himself. 

They were seated against the hood of Yohan's carlooking over The Han River, where the prince requested to pass the time since neither of them seemed to want to head to the palace so soon after the spectacle that the ex-lovers Wooseok & Seungyoun did in the middle of the street. 

Somewhere in the distance, the prince's bodyguards probably had stealthily stationed themselves to build a hidden security perimeter around them. 

Hangyul chuckled mirthlessly, "Does it count as being dumped though if we never really told them how we felt though?" The view before him was spectacular. The moon, stars, and city lights giving the waters its sparkle and glamour. But he couldn't bring himself to appreciate it. Not when his chest felt numbed with the pain & trauma it experienced earlier. 

It goes without saying that the two best friends already knew whom the other was pining for. There was never a need for them to exchange a lot of words anyway. They already knew each other well enough for "who's your crush?" kind of conversations.

"Oh, we don't need to," Yohan said with a shake of his head, making the younger turn to his left to give his best friend a look of total confusion.

"We weren't exactly being subtle, too, and those two are some of the most discerning & cunning people I know."

When Hangyul didn't reply, he continued, "Don't get me wrong. Underneath this all, they are good-hearted people. It's just that relationships are messy..." Yohan trailed off. "Because emotions are and because people, in general, are."

Hangyul had to agree. He only had to look at himself as an example to know that he couldn't contend his best friend's words. "My first heartbreak," the prince deadpanned, looking over the river again. "One big royal heartbreak."

Yohan kept silent for the next few moments until he gently reached out for Hangyul's left hand and intertwined their fingers. "I always wonder... How simple would things be if it was you? Because I sure hoped it was you, Gyullie."

Hangyul couldn't believe what his best friend was implying, but he let his best friend hold his hand anyway. It was still, more than anything, just the warmth & comfort he needed at the moment. But he had to ask, "What do you mean?"

"I mean I wished I fell in love with you instead."

"Yohan-ah--"

"But it didn't happen," Yohan huffed, gently rubbing his thumb over the back of Hangyul's hand. "Because the heart wants who it wants. And mine happened to have set its sight on the guy who had just humiliated my best friend tonight. The guy who Seungyoun hyung had so easily stolen from me. Not just once, but twice."

Hangyul frowned, laying his right hand over their interlocked fingers in comfort. He never fully learned how to handle a vulnerable Yohan. His best friend was his pillar of strength, and source of comfort so with the roles switched, he didn't know what to do when, with his own heart broken, he suddenly needed to be the one comforting Yohan. He could only offer nearness. And comfortable silence.

He thought that maybe Yohan was right. Maybe things wouldn't be so complicated if they had just fallen in love with each other instead. But you love who you love. And sadly for the two of them, they weren't loved back. "Yeah, that doesn't sound so bad..."

Yohan softly nudged his friend's shoulder with his own, never shy to exchange some physical affection here & there, and tonight was not any different. Sometimes, the friendly touches they traded even worked better wonders than their words ever could. 

"But is it okay if I say that right now, it still h-hurts?" Hangyul's voice cracked at that last part and Yohan almost immediately made a soothing sound.

Then the older used his free hand to pull the prince's head down to his shoulder. "It's okay, Gyullie. You can let it out."

Only then did Hangyul become aware of how the tears that he had been able to blink away just a few moments ago had returned with a vengeance, now refusing to retreat. They slid down his face, one treacherous drop after another.

Hangyul made to wipe his tears with his fists but Yohan wouldn't let go of his left hand so Hangyul, ashamed of his own tears, hid his face on Yohan's neck and almost immediately, the other's arms came around the prince.

"Crybaby," Yohan teased with one arm around the prince's shoulder while his free hand was patting the back of Hangyul's head.

"I'm s-sorry," Hangyul said in between the sobs he was trying so hard and failing to contain. "I--"

"Ssshhh..."

For the next few minutes, Yohan let his best friend tuck his face against his shoulder until the sobs had calmed down and the tears had stopped. 

"I think I know what can make you feel better or, at least, entertain you..." Yohan offered when he was sure Hangyul was soothed.

Sniffling messily, Hangyul drew his head away to look at his best friend who now had a wet patch of tears on the shoulder part of his coat. "What?"

"The story. Between Wooseok hyung, Seungyoun hyung, and I. I know you've been itching to ask me about it and I guess it would give you more context to how we treat each other now."

"Only if you're comfortable & ready--"

"I am. So let's go grab some ice cream. On me. And I'll tell you all about us three."

Hangyul unwound his arms from his friend's waist and fiddled with the ends of his knitted scarf. "As long as you're buying..."

"Yes, Prince Cheapskate," Yohan sang, fondly pulling Hangyul's collars closer to his chin before dragging the younger to the passenger side of the car by the hand and ushering him in. Then he went to the driver's side and searched for some private-enough ice cream parlor that would be open twenty four-seven, aware that Hangyul's bodyguards were trailing discreetly behind them.

What they weren't aware of though, were the paparazzi who'd taken pictures of them being affectionate. Pictures that could easily paint them as secret lovers to the eyes of anyone who lacked the proper and complete context.

The media will have another field day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> has the story become boring? :( i feel like it has lol but im doing my best and this will be continued/finished so i would appreciate hearing what you guys think about this fic so far lol i have so many insecurities about this one so a comment would be really appreciated shdksksl
> 
> im @choimineul both on twitter and curiouscat and i am chogyul-content deprived. is this ship dying? probably. will that make me jump shop? never. pls pls pls send me some seungyul content if you have some new ones haha
> 
> STAY STRONG CHOGYUL NATION


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the update took so long :( but here i am, finally, serving you seungseok x yohangyul x seungyul

"If you think Yohan and I came there not knowing what you were plotting, you are mistaken," Seungyoun gritted out between his teeth, not sparing Wooseok a glance, hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road.

Wooseok bit his lip guiltily and looked outside the window to his right from where he was seated in the passenger seat, watching as their car passed by the street lamps and road signs outside. "Just what I expected. My childhood friends are as smart & calculating as I am," he stated, trying to sound unaffected by the thought of Yohan and Hangyul alone in this chilly night.

Yes, the night turned out as he wanted it to, but the look of pure confusion (and was there also devastation?) in Yohan's eyes was still engraved in his mind. It was the part he failed to take into consideration when he set to make it a point for the prince to realize that pursuing something with Seungyoun would be bad news.

He'd wanted so badly to sigh dreamily at the thought that Yohan might have hurried to fetch him but he wasn't as delusional so as to ignore the possibility that Yohan might have come for his best friend, too. 

"_You came_,"  Wooseok recalled how he fake-marvelled as he wound his arms around Seungyoun. He remembered the surprise he got when Seungyoun played along, too. But they both knew it was all just for show. Because they seemed to both be into their own emotional charades. And even though it looked as if they were exchanging their next few words with each other, Wooseok knew that Seungyoun—just like what Wooseok himself was doing—was just using the whole scenario for his own agenda, too.

He heard a huff from Seungyoun to his left, pulling his thoughts back to the present. "Wooseok, you're not the best at covering up your motives and feelings, even if you have always been the most perceptive among us three."

"Like you're any better at hiding your feelings," Wooseok bit out, finally turning to look at his slightly older friend and taking in the serious set to the other's jaw.

Seungyoun shook his head and made to deny, and it was almost laughable to Wooseok how the prince had just attempted to do the same just a few minutes ago.  _Two peas in a pod_.  They made it all too entertaining for Wooseok.

"They are as obvious to everyone as the moon, Seungyoun," Wooseok accused. "Except to the object of those said feelings, apparently."  _ Lee Hangyul.  _

That didn't earn him a reply from Seungyoun. So he once again turned to his friend whose knuckles had gone white from holding onto the steering wheel too tightly, and pressed even further. "Not that I don't see why. Hangyul's quite impressive. Resilient. Ballsy. Though innocent and honorable, too."

"You forgot naive & clueless," Seungyoun chimed in with a tinge of bitterness, his heart & lips going quicker than his brain and therefore, basically admitting that he did like the prince that way. So he gave Wooseok a guilty sideways glance and bit his lip.

It made the shorter man chuckle. "If you liked him so much, why did you play along?"

But Seungyoun refused to hand it over to him so easily. "I could ask you the same," he flung back towards Wooseok. "Why go out of your way to do this? What has Hangyul ever done to you? Are you that miffed that you seem to be losing Yohan to the prince?"

"Don't you dare make this about Yohan and me."

"Is it not about Yohan and you, too?"

"You hypocrite," Wooseok hissed with a disbelieving look sent his friend's way, mildly letting his temper fly. "As if Yohan's closeness to the prince doesn't rub you the wrong way. So I'll ask again: Why did you play along?"

There was a long, thoughtful pause and Wooseok could almost hear the gears turning inside Seungyoun's head; could see him tracing an escape route so that he didn't have to answer the question directly. Not that Wooseok didn't know what the anser was already; he just wanted to hear Seungyoun admit it himself.

"It doesn't matter," Seungyoun declared, and seemed to debate with himself whether he will let his next words escape or not. "Besides," he continued, "We don't even know if the prince will take me."

Thr younger male mulled over this semi-admission from Seungyoun for a few moments and, uncharacteristic of himself, decided to ease the older some of his torment. "Oh, trust me he will," he chuckled mirthlessly, recalling the look on Hangyul's face; the naivety and the despair when he saw that both Seungyoun and Yohan arrived. "He would have. Right then and there. Tonight. And I'm speaking as the most perceptive one among us three."

"We don't know that..."

"Insecurity doesn't look good on you, Seungyoun."

"It's just that--" Seungyoun almost verbalized his uncertainties by reasoning out why he didn't think his feelings were mutual, but Wooseok has had enough.

He cut his friend off, saving them both the bullshit. "Make up excuses for yourself and believe them if that's what will let you sleep at night.  _Fine_.  But don't say I didn't tell you, that it could be as simple as 1-2-3. You just have to ask yourself which is more important—your inheritance, your pride, and your ego combined? Or Hangyul?"

Seungyoun ground his molars, unable to contend Wooseok, and unable to reply.

"Count your cost and find out which you'd rather gain or lose, Cho."

They let the words hang in the air between them as they reached an intersection; a red light. It also gave the perfect timing for Seungyoun to gape at the other who he now really thinks is bipolar.

Just minutes ago, Wooseok had allowed himself to use and be used by Seungyoun to conceal the ill-fated choices of their hearts but now he was pushing for Seungyoun to pursue Hangyul?

Seungyoun voiced out his confusion, "What are you doing? Do you hear yourself?"

The lanes perpendicular to theirs got the green light which gave them more time; the muted sounds of cars passing by and the idle engine of the car behind them the only background noise.

"Oh, don't think I'm being entirely selfless here," Wooseok sang, not bothering to dilute the glint of mischief in his eyes which the older quickly caught on.

"Ah," Seungyoun mused, happy to have the topic slightly diverted from the weight of having to make a choice. "So it's Kim Yohan. It's still him, huh."

"Always have been."

The light turned green and the two friends spent the rest of the journey back to the palace in complete silence, hearts not entirely unbothered by the prospect that the love of their lives were still with each other, probably providing & exchanging comfort and consolation under the cold, beautiful, starless night sky.

*

Meanwhile, Yohan dove right into his promised topic, as he transferred ice cream cups from the tray he was holding to the dainty table that he and the prince have occupied. "Have I told you before that I didn't really plan to be a professor in history?"

Luckily for him and the prince, they'd found an ice cream parlor that would be open until a little past midnight, and whose only other patrons had just left. This would save them the trouble of having to avoid anyone recgnize Hangyul as the prince.

"Mhmm!" Hangyul nodded enthusiastically, eyes widening in delight at the three huge scoops of strawberry-flavored ice cream which he ordered. 

Yohan then disappeared momentarily to return the tray to the counter before he finally settled himself on the white tiffany chair across his best friend. "But did I tell you what I really wanted to become?" he asked, continuing seamlessly, before he helped himself to his first spoonful.

The prince who was eyeing his ice cream, looking for the least aesthetic part which would make digging in and consequently ruining the nice presentation of the ice cream a little less of a regret, looked up to shake his head. "No, you didn't."

"Well, I wanted to be a Taekwondo coach," the slightly older between the two confessed, as he leaned back on his chair and stared off at space, starting to be engrossed with the story he'd promised to share with the younger.

Hangyul let his mouth form a tiny, soundless "o", before another spoonful of ice cream found its way to his lips again. "But what does this have to do with Wooseok-ssi and Seungyoun-ssi?"

"Well, let's just say that my ex-boyfriend wasn't the most supportive of me owning a Taekwondo gym in favor of pursuing further studies, after I earned my bachelor's in archaeology..." Yohan sighed, not bothering to hold back the frown at the memory.

"But why?" the prince asked with a slight lisp as he let some ice cream melt atop his tongue. 

The professor pressed his forefinger in the middle of Hangyul's forehead and pushed playfully. "You're such a kid," Yohan chuckled fondly at his best friend, "Stop playing with the ice cream and eat like an actual grown man."

The only response Hangyul gave him was a click of the tongue and a playful glare.

Going back, he answered the prince's inquiry. "Maybe because it wasn't really a..." he paused, looking for the right term, "Glamorous job like his? I don't know, that's how it felt like to me. By that time, Wooseok was already vying for the Head Curator position in The Cho Museum so it hurt that the one whom I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with wasn't ride or die with me. It made our relationship feel conditional. It kinda felt like I had to have a white-collar job to deserve him, you know?"

"So you were  _already_ planning to marry Wooseok-ssi at such a young age?"

At this, Yohan could only shrug, unable to deny. "I loved him, Gyullie. I  _love_ Wooseok-ssi."

Hangyul didn't miss the difference in the tenses which Yohan used to talk about Kim Wooseok, but it didn't sound like a slip of the tongue either. And one look at his best friend who was picking on his ice cream with a forlorn look on his face confirmed to be true the conclusion which the prince gathered from his best friend's last words. So without a word, Hangyul, reached out with his free hand to lay it on top of Yohan's to rub his knuckles back and forth as some sort of comfort.

Yohan turned his hand and gave him back a squeeze which communicated that he was alright, before drawing his hand away, and pulling their hands apart.

"You don't have to continue, Yohannie..." Hangyul offered, feeding himself another spoonful.

"No, it's okay," the professor brushed it off with a fake chuckle followed by a deep inhale, as if he was preparing to go to the messier parts of the story. "To move forward with this though, it would be useful to know that Seungyoun hyung confessed to Wooseok hyung right after I told Seungyoun hyung—him being my best friend— that I was planning to do just that the following day. Wooseok rejected him, by the way."

Hangyul gasped.

"Yeah, he thought he could beat me to it, and that should have been the end of it because Wooseok hyung practically chose me over him already, but Seungyoun hyung has a competitive streak. He didn't take rejection & losing well. Especially when he was up against me. And maybe that was why one night, months in my relationship with Wooseokie hyung, Seungyoun hyung drunk-dialled him and demanded to know why his confession was rejected and mine was accepted and reciprocated. Looking back now, maybe that was probably when the seed of mistrust was planted between me and Seungyoun hyung."

The prince heaved out a heavy sigh and felt his appetite for the dessert dissipate at the realization that that was the man he fell in love with—confident & cocky on the outside, but damaged & insecure on the inside. And though it was supposed to turn him off, his heart could only ache for him.

Even more so now than before, Hangyul foolishly hoped that circumstances were different; that it was as simple as Seungyoun just letting Hangyul love him so much so that the older will never want for love & affection anymore again.

"And given the situation and how we can't agree with my chosen career path, my relationship with Wooseokie hyung became more and more strained," Yohan continued, "I was questioning why he couldn't support me, while he was starting to invest all his time and attention to the museum in order to avoid having to bicker over my long-term career plans with me. And I let my pride get the best of me, so instead of talking it out, I let him draw farther & farther away until we were both running on empty—emptied of the confidence that our love will keep us together; emptied of reasons to stay."

Hangyul mirrored the frown that was on his best friend's face. He knew there was more to the story to come and he wasn't sure he wanted to learn how Seungyoun got himself into an even bigger mess than the one he did.

Yohan visibly and audibly gulped before continuing, as if he needed to steel himself from the next parts of his story. "We did stay friends after Seungyoun hyung drunk-dialled Wooseok hyung, and he may be enjoying his 'Grade A Asshole' reputation now—as you know by firsthand experience—but deep inside, Seungyoun hyung is actually a very nice person. So I knew it was a mix of guilt & remorse for drunk-dialling Wooseokie hyung that made him step up & volunteer to mediate and try to patch things up between Wooseokie hyung and I, since we were both ranting to him and unloading our frustrations to him anyway."

The younger between the two best friends was about two spoonfuls away from finishing his ice cream by this time, and was listening intently to Yohan with brows furrowed and shoulders hunched over, poised & ready to reach out should Yohan's armor crumble under the reminder of these painful memories. "Hmmm..." he hummed thoughtfully, encouraging Yohan to continue, and choosing to ignore that Yohan who'd been most hostile towards Seungyoun so far, was here calling the guy who'd just so callously and semi-publicly broken the heart of South Korea's Crown Prince 'nice'.  _Nice_.

"And this is where blanks will start appearing since this is just the explanation which they offered. And I guess I'll never know whether they're true or not..." the professor trailed off, ice cream only half-eaten, eyes minimally glassed over and staring into a void again.

"After talking to me, Seungyoun hyung claims that he's asked Wooseokie hyung to meet him at a bar. He said his mistake was having too much to drink before Wooseokie hyung even arrived. He said he still had some feelings for Wooseokie hyung then and that he needed liquid courage to push through with helping the two of us close the gap between us then; said he needed to numb the jealousy or heartbreak, and be there as our best friend, and not the clichè guy who will tell Wooseokie hyung that he wouldn't have had to go through all the pain if only he'd picked him."

"He overestimated himself..." Hangyul piped in, about to see where everything was headed and once again, his treacherous heart ached. For his bestfriend, Yohan. For Seungyoun, whose only mistake was to love someone who didn't love him back.

Then the prince turned his thoughts to himself and loathed the self-pity that latched upon his heart at the realization that he was no different from Seungyoun—powerless to stop themselves from loving a man who whill never love them back. And Hangyul wanted to say it was not Seungyoun's fault and that it wasn't within the older's prerogative to choose who his heart longed for, but he knew it wouldn't be helpful and that it could easily be mistaken as him justifying the older's mistakes. 

"That he did," Yohan agreed, "And so did Wooseokie hyung. A friend of mine saw them drinking at the bar and sent me a photo of them. And it would have been okay because Seungyoun hyung told me anyways that he was meeting with Wooseokie hyung... except that they looked awfully cozy and touchy in the pictures. My friend said they even had lazy, drunken smiles in their faces as they exited the bar in each other's arms."

"No..."

"Yeah... And I wanted to trust both my best friend and my boyfriend then. That they wouldn't do it to me. But I couldn't. And that was my second mistake—the first one being letting Seungyoun hyung involve himself in something that should have just been between me and my ex-boyfriend. So I visited Wooseokie hyung's flat the next morning and I--" Yohan's voice faltered, so quickly and without any fuss, Hangyul dragged his seat beside Yohan's and held his best friend's trembling hands in both of his.

He wanted to stop Yohan from continuing any further because it was obvious that telling Hangyul, and at the same time recounting the details of his breakup with Wooseok and his fallout with Seungyoun, was taking too much from Yohan mentally & emotionally. But Hangyul also trusted his best friend to determine whether he's really ready or not. He'll let Yohan take it at his own pace.

So wordlessly, he tucked his head under his best friend's chin, half-leaning against Yohan's chest & shoulder, with hands cupped around Yohan's on their laps, partly because he thought it was the best he could do so far as extending comfort was concerned, and partly because he didn't want to see his best friend's face crumpled in emotional distress & deep sadness.

"I saw them on Wooseokie hyung's bed, Gyullie..." Yohan finally declared, words escaping him in a trembling voice. "Half-naked and spooning..."

Something wet dropped on Hangyul's cheek and it took a moment before the prince realized that it was Yohan's tears falling down his own face, and then to Hangyul's. 

_ Click, click. _

Yohan ducked his head and sniffled, hiding the lower part of his face under the prince's hair. His next few words were whispered, "They said nothing happened but it didn't matter to me at that time. I could only feel betrayed. And it was twice the hurt and the pain when one was my boyfriend and one was my best friend."

_ Click, click. _

*

Hangyul was confused.

He wondered why, instead of Han Seungwoo whom he was supposed to have lectures with for the morning, it was Cho Seungyoun in his crisp dress shirt tucked neatly in his slacks that was waiting for him in the lecture hall.

_It hasn't even been twenty four hours_,  Hangyul wanted to wail. No, literally. He really did.

Seeing Seungyoun was a painful reminder that Wooseok was right. That even with the royal title, the king-sized bed, the walk-in closet, the palace with its maids and guards, the media fawning over him, and half of the nation swooning and falling at his feet, he was still the lonely orphan—not so special and not so indispensable. It was exactly how Seungyoun's rejection made him feel.

So he mustered all his strength to keep a straight face and avoid the older's eyes as soon as he got over his initial shock. "Where's Seungwoo hyung?" he asked without making eye contact, as he pulled out his usual seat.

Seungyoun was standing by the chair across the one which the prince occupied, a yellow manila envelope starkly at rest in front of him. "Seungwoo  _hyung_ ?" the older mimicked, distaste and confusion apparent at the fond way the prince addressed his new tutor.

Hangyul buried the aching in his heart under the guise of defiance. "Yes,  _Seungyoun-ssi_ ," Hangyul said with emphasis, raising first his chin and then his eyes so that his gaze finally connected with Seungyoun's. "I'd like to know where Seungwoo  _hyung_ is."

Seungyoun looked so good, albeit hints to a sleepless night were present in the tiredness in his eyes which slowly widened at the younger's stubborn response. "He was asked to skip today in favor of other more pressing urgencies that need to be discussed," he said, dismissing the question while his hands moved to take out the contents of the envelope.

"If that's so," Hangyul said, rising from his seat and suffocating from the tension between him and the man he loved. He wasn't ready for any interaction with Seungyoun yet and truth be told, it might take a while before he is. He continued, "I'd like to request that said 'pressing urgencies' be discussed later--"

He was effectively silenced, flinching hard, when Seungyoun slammed the contents of the envelope onto the table between them, a loud cracking noise bouncing between the walls of the private lecture hall.

Hangyul was about to complain about the interruption when his eyes caught the papers—no, photos—spread across the wooden expanse of the long, grand table. Photos of him and Yohan from last night.

He gasped and with trembling fingers, reached out to take one, and then another. And then another.

Picture after picture, was of him with his best friend. From when they were in front of the Han river last night. From when they were in the ice cream parlor.Looking at each other with secretive smiles, if not with a fondness that could easily be mistaken as not just platonic. Yohan and him holding hands. Hugging. Smiling like fools in the ice cream parlor. Hangyul snuggling onto Yohan's chest. Yohan seemingly kissing his head.

Seungyoun didn't say anything while Hangyul browsed through the implicit photos, visibly shaking in both confusion and panic. The prince wasn't stupid. He knew who could have taken this, and who these copies could be from. He also knew the implications should these photos be released to the public.

" _ Dispatch _ ," Seungyoun said simply; the calm & even tone of his voice a contrast to the anger he was barely keeping at bay.

Hangyul's eyes darted from one photo to another, bracing himself against the table as if his legs would fail to hold him up if he didn't. "T-These are..."

"The Imperial Palace's downfall," the older sternly declared, finishing the sentence in a way harsher and more blunt than Hangyul intended to. "It's you and Kim not using your brains. It's you being careless,  _Your Highness_ ."

The voting was nearing and Hangyul knew how a scandal such as this one could affect the polls & the vote results. He also knew how unforgiving the Korean general public could be when a media platform succeeds in twisting their view of a topic in a way that suited their agenda. "H-Have they released these photos already?" Hangyul asked, stretching to his full height as his defense mechanism kicked in.

In his head, he was already listing down the list of people whom he should call to explain to, and those who he should ask for help from in taking down all these photos and related articles so that the Internet was wiped off it. Yohan was, of course, at the top of his list.

"Not yet," Seungyoun answered, making Hangyul heave out a sigh of relief.

He still had time. God, he still had time. Hangyul simply nodded and headed hurriedly to the door, resolute in doing everything within his means so that the photos weren't uploaded, published, then spread like wildfire on the Internet.

"Where do you think you're going?!" the older caught him by the wrist, pulling hard enough so that the frantic prince was facing him.

Hangyul attempted to shrug off the older's hold on him. He really didn't have time to waste. "I need to stop them," he said in impatience as Seungyoun's hold on him tightened. "So, please, Seungyoun-ssi..."

The older ignored the younger's worries with a dismissive, "Has it even sunken in on your pretty little head just how messy things would get if Dispatch hadn't given us until lunchtime to decide how to move forward with this?! Do you even use your head? Did you even think to consider how this would affect the general public's opinion? Seriously? Weeks before they cast their votes? Are you really  _that_ stupid?!"

Slowly, Hangyul's panic turned into irritation. It didn't sit well with him that one, Seungyoun was acting all worried and omniscient while being insulting at the same time; and two, that said lunchtime deadline was drawing closer by each second that Seungyoun was stopping him. "I know!" he gritted out between his teeth. "And every second that you're keeping me here to drill these onto my head is every second wasted, so I would appreciate it if you let me go," Hangyul said, making sure to emphasize those last three words. "Besides, why do you care so much? Wouldn't that work for you, for the media to tear me apart so that the public won't vote to restore the monarchy?" He knew it was a low blow but the younger refused any more of Seungyoun's indecision. Was he on Hangyul's side like he claimed that night? Or was that nothing but an empty, drunken promise?

The possibility that it was the latter made Hangyul's hands shake even more violently than seeing the pictures did. He was seething mad now. First, the older kisses him and promises to be on his side. Second, he basically denies any sort of attraction to Hangyul as he ran off with Wooseok last night. And now this? What was Hangyul supposed to think, really?

Hangyul's rhetorical questions caught Seungyoun off-guard so much that he drew back one step; fingers unwinding from around Hangyul's wrist. But he was quick to recover, with a comeback nonetheless. "I'll have you know that I paid that media outlet off with money from my own pocket..." he said, jabbing a finger towards the table behind him where the photos were. "I literally paid the price so that your stupidity wouldn't be made known to the whole of South Korea. A simple 'thanks' would suffice."

Which could only mean that the situation has already been doused. Which then raised the question to Seungyoun's motives for cornering and confronting Hangyul about the photos. They could have talked it out and done a debriefing like adults. 

But that didn't make Hangyul any less suprised at the admission, though he made the effort for it not to show. (It also didn't make his stupid heart hope that Seungyoun did so out of some sense of protectiveness. Fat chance.) So, grasping at straws, Hangyul instead chose to give Seungyoun a dose of his own medicine. "Well, I didn't ask you to! I could have taken care of it with Sajangnim and Yohannie!"

_Defensiveness_ . It was the only thing he was holding onto now because as much as Hangyul wanted to have only resentment towards the older, the better part of him was still just... heartbroken. He didn't even have time to lick his own wounds after last night, and now here they were, at each other's neck.

Seungyoun bristled at Hangyul implying that his help was neither welcome nor appreciated. "You didn't have to ask me to do it," he stated, calming down slowly, and averting the younger's gaze, "Because I meant what I said that night,  _Hangyul-ah_.  Regardless of whether you remember it or not. How ever and whatever last night might have looked like."

Hangyul's heart leapt, and his mind raced. Here we go again with the mixed signals; but Hangyul couldn't let Seungyoun know how easily the older could make him fold... "I have no idea what you are talking about..." the prince attempted to deny, implying in futility that he neither remembered the night when they kissed, nor did last night matter to him.

"Liar."

The accusation made the prince's self-control snap and now, self-preservation mattered the most. "I'm the liar?  _I'm the liar?_ " he cried, gathering his wits and preparing to answer Seungyoun's verbal attack with one of his own. "You have absolutely no right to call  me a liar when  _you_ were the one who kissed  _me_ \--"

"_You kissed me back_," Seungyou cut him off before realization dawned on him. Hangyul remembered everything. "So you  do remember..."

Of course he remembers! Hangyul did have a little too much to drink that night but how could he have forgotten the night which felt like a fairytale scene come to life? How could he have forgotten the worry etched on Seungyoun's face, the warmth of Seungyoun's back, the star in his eyes as he moved closer to kiss him, the tentative press of his lips against his, the gentle way in which he held the prince's face? Up to this day, to Hangyul's torment, these very things still haunted him. Made him wish circumstances were different, and that Seungyoun's feelings were as clear to Hangyul as his own were, but...

"That's not the point!" Hangyul said in exasperation, choosing frustration over wide-eyed hopefulness, now jabbing a finger towards Seungyoun's direction. " _You_ kissed  _me_ and then promised to be someone I can trust but then you basically rub it in my face that you're into Wooseok-ssi last night? What, you get kicks from toying with other people's feelings? Was last night entertaining for you?" The sting of unshed tears made itself known to Hangyul. But he wasn't going to cry. He identified where his anger was coming from and he dwelled on it. He needed the fury to hide the tears, needed them to make him strong, needed them so that he was this way, rather than on his knees begging Seungyoun to love him back. 

Seungyoun wanted to pull his hairs out, wanted to tell the prince that he was taking it all wrong. So riled up, so tense, that he hadn't noticed how they were practically chest to chest now, literally at each other's faces, both turning their own heartbreaks into mad accusations. "You're one to talk!" he scoffed, "_You _ _ kissed me back _ and then you run off with Yohan to get cozy in front of Han River and in some shit place before heading off to only God knows where until late at night!"

At some corner of his mind, Hangyul wanted to call the older out for his jealousy but he wasn't going to let himself hope anymore. So he taunted, "And would you rather I ran home, curled up in my room and cried? Well, I'm sorry if my best friend and I wanted to comfort each other after we were practically dumped last night--"

"You weren't," Seungyoun announced, face crestfallen and regretful for a second.

"The pictures you saw were--" Hangyul stopped when he realized what Seungyoun had said, and what he was implying.

A long, drawn-out pause settled between them as the prince tried to let Seungyoun's denial sink in. 

"W-What? What did you say?" Hangyul stuttered.  _ Please _ , he begged inside his head.  _ Please. Don't break my heart again, please.  _

The silence prolonged, in which Hangyul was pleading with his eyes and Seungyoun was staring at the floor, as if he didn't mean for the admission to come out. 

"You heard me the first time," the older muttered, "I'm not saying it again if you just need someone to stroke your ego, Your Highness."

Hangyul's heart dropped, as he reared his head back as if he had just been slapped. He really fell in love with an asshole. So he pressed his lips together, took a deep breath, and accepted the situation for what it is. It wasn't enough that they liked each other. It never will be. They would only end up hurting each other this way.

Oblivious and as if dead set on pushing him away, Seungyoun continued in a steady, accusatory tone, "And even if you were dumped, that still doesn't make it sensible to be out in public so late at night--"

"Why? Did it make your insides churn? Did it give you trouble sleeping last night?" Hangyul interrupted, weakly shoving Seungyoun's shoulder with every question, each one symbolic of a strand of hope Hangyul was letting go of. He knew the answers full well already, but it wouldn't be fair if he didn't inflict some sort of pain on the older as well. So he continued, "Why? Were you tossing & turning in worry? Over me? Who even am I to you, Cho Seungyoun-ssi? Tell me!"

_Please. Please..._ a traitorous portion of his heart wept as he hung his head and as the more rational part of his brain told him that it was better if he expected there to be no answer, his hand now resting weakly in the middle of Seungyoun's chest.

He wasn't wrong. The older didn't say anything, save for the deep breath Hangyul heard him take, as if the prince's verbal punch landed in the right places. 

A whole minute has passed. It was time to give it up.

"That's what I thought..." Hangyul said, chuckling bitterly to himself, and letting his hand slide down from Seungyoun's chest in defeat.

If loving each other will always end up hurting them both this way, it wasn't worth it. It really wasn't. They couldn't keep destroying each other like this anymore. So Hangyul will be the bigger person here, he has decided. He'll walk away. 

"Hangyul, I--" The older tried to catch his hand, but the prince has already drawn away, turned around, and exited the room.

*

_Last night...._

_It had been three hours since Wooseok and Seungyoun arrived at the palace, yet the prince and Yohan still haven't arrived._

_Seungyoun had already taken a shower and was actually ready for bed already, but the look of devastation on Hangyul's face was still etched so vividly in his mind it wouldn't let him sleep._

_"Has the prince arrived already?" he later asked the chief palace attendant whom he caught roaming the courtyards in obvious distress, as he, too, wanted some fresh air to clear his head._

_With hands clasped across her stomach in politeness, the lady who was in her early forties, answered, "Not yet, Sir."_

_He flicked over his wrist to check the time. _11:57pm._ Three minutes before midnight. About three hours since the spectacle of Wooseok and him using each other happened. _

_"Try calling him," Seungyoun ordered, ignoring the weird look the maid gave him as if to ask why he couldn't do it himself. "Or the head security detail who went with him. Hurry."_

_Obeying the order, the chief maid took out her phone from her dress pockets and tried first the head security detail, whose phone could not be reached._

_She drew the phone from her ear and looked at it in confusion. "Mr. Jung is either out of coverage, or he has his phone turned off, Sir..."_

_"What?!"_

_"I can't seem to reach him."_

_ (Unbeknownst to them, the prince had charmed  and muscled his way to making his bodyguards agree to keep his innocent adventures with Yohan for the night a secret from anyone, with the promise that they wouldn't get in trouble for it. _

_They'd been adamant, of course, but Hangyul whipped out his royal card with a "This is a direct order from your Prince," and they were left with no choice but to obey._

_Of course, when they conceded, the prince smiled cheekily and started to thank them with small giddy hugs until Yohan, in second-hand embarrassment, drew his best friend away, which made the prince pout._

_"Thanks, Mr. Jung," Yohan offered before dragging Hangyul inside the ice cream place, and leaving the bodyguards dumbfounded and whipped at the cute act the prince had just displayed.)_

_"Try the prince himself," Seungyoun commanded only to get the same fruitless response which made his stomach flip in worry. Dammit. Where the hell could they all be?_

_"Call Kim Yohan..."_

_Once again, the maid's eyebrows met in confusion, before she wordlessly did as she was told._

_"Professor Kim, too, could not be reached, Sir," she said, slightly fearing for her own sanity and employment also, should something happen to the prince._

_Seungyoun scoffed at finding no consolation at having no idea who else could assure him that the prince was safe. He swallowed, and willed all the bad possible scenarios to fade._

_But what if something bad did happen to the prince? Seungyoun dismissed the maid with a small thanks and headed back to his room._ I wouldn't be able to forgive myself, knowing I just intentionally hurt you tonight, too.

_No, he couldn't let Hangyul go without first giving him an earful about being out so late and making people worry. After he's drilled onto the prince's head that he wasn't just some random college student anymore, maybe then he'll let him go. Then he'll finally get to go about his merry way burying this constant worry over Hangyul's safety, these affectionate feelings that made him wish he wasn't the heir of The Cho Conglomerate and that Hangyul wasn't the Crown Prince of South Korea. This dread over the possibility that Yohan and his prince were still together..._

What if the two weren't planning to go back to the palace tonight?  What if they went drinking? Hangyul has low alcohol tolerance.  _Seungyoun frowned._ What if Kim Yohan decides to take Hangyul home? Fuck, fuck, fuck.

_He was almost at his bedroom when his phone beeped with a text message. He frantically took out his phone from his pockets as quickly as he could at the possibility that it could finally be Mr. Jung with a report on the prince's whereabouts, but it was an unknown number._

_The text message read: _" This is Bae Solmi of Dispatch and we have an inside scoop on the crown prince's secret relationship with a professor from Hanshik University. Care to discuss & negotiate?"

_And this was why, a few minutes later, Seungyoun was headed out the palace to meet with the infamous media outlet known for dishing on secret dating scandals, and therefore absent when Yohan and the prince finally arrived at the palace._

Secret relationship, my ass , Seungyoun chuckled bitterly, ignoring the way his heart was practically weeping at the blow after blow it had to take tonight.

Lee Hangyul, why must you make me worry this way? Why must you hurt me this way? Why must you make me love you this way?

*

And that's who Lee Hangyul was to Cho Seungyoun.

But now, he might have just lost him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i struggled writing the three childhood friend's history tbvh so i hope it wasn't that shitty dkdkdjd
> 
> also, thoughts on wooseok in this chapter? how about the seungyul scene?
> 
> PLEASE LEAVE MY NEEDY ASS SOME COMMENTS PLEASE, you guys have no idea how much comments mean to us lowly authors :( 
> 
> you can also pester me and interact with me over at curiouscat and twitter! i'm @choimineul in both platforms, let's be friends and trade some chogyul content & love lol


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 011320 Hey, Oneit! Thank you for being strong. Hang in there, ok? We're bringing X1 back.

Hangyul couldn't focus. Not because the voting is finally upon them.  _It's in seven days!_ But because he knows that it was only a matter of time before he has to make a choice; before he's forced to give something (or someone) up.

Truth be told, in the days following his confrontation with Seungyoun, the idea of leaving everything behind—running away—slowly became such an attractive option for Hangyul. It made sense: No one has to sign off his inheritance. No one has to give up his museum. And no one (read: himself) has to live with knowing that not even royal blood could make someone who loved you, choose to willingly give everything up just to be with you.

It was too much to ask anyway, and Hangyul might be willing to do it, but he would never ask that of Seungyoun.

So Hangyul thought that maybe, he should do it himself. Give everything up & run away so that there's at least one person between Seungyoun and himself, who will get at least half a happy ending from all of this.

"What do you think, Your Majesty?" 

Hangyul's attention was dragged back to the present where Hanshik was giving briefing details regarding the voting to him and the rest of the Imperial Team, which included the three childhood friends, of course.

But he actually wasn't listening; his head floating off in space where his personal problems seemed more important than the matter of restoring monarchy. (He didn't like that this was who he'd become, but Seungyoun really had become  _that_ important to him.)

The prince's best friend, Kim Yohan, of course, noticed that Hangyul hadn't been paying attention during the last twenty minutes. It was obvious in the way that the professor hurrily jumped in to reiterate the context and the question itself for Hangyul's sake, after the prince floundered helplessly, unable to admit that his head was elsewhere and that he wasn't following.

"I-I'll let the Imperial Team vote on it, Sajangnim," Hangyul offered after what very little context to the question Yohan gave him, deeming it to be the safest answer, and itching to escape under Seungyoun's scrutiny from across the table.

He  _had_ walked away from Seungyoun the last time, but honestly, his anger had dissipated after he'd tried to look at the situation from Seungyoun's standpoint. And seriously, he loved the older too much to stay mad at him despite the older's refusal to verbally admit that he  _did_ like the prince back.

And that was what hurt: Seungyoun's cowardice made Hangyul's hopefulness seem pathetic.

But that was in the past now, and the prince was not one to hold any grudges. But being made a fool of again? That was an entirely different story.

"Alright," Hanshik cleared his throat in finality, snatching Hangyul's attention again. "We'll do as His Highness says. We'll park the matter and have it suspend in the air for now."

The prince nodded thoughtfully in confirmation & agreement, prompting Hanshik to continue, "We could conclude this meeting now, unless Your Majesty has something to say?" He gestured towards Hangyul with an open, upturned palm, ever so polite and reverent.

Naturally, all heads turned to the prince and Hangyul fought the urge to cringe and curl onto himself. He still couldn't get used to this fully, but he did have something to say. Too many, actually. But he'll try to keep it short, diplomatic, and void of everything except sheer gratitude; clear of any clue to the whirlwind of emotions he was harboring inside.

So Hangyul took a deep breath and launched onto his speech which he hoped sounded more encouraging than hopeless & defeated (which was exactly how he was feeling).

"I know we have one last meeting before the national voting commences but I would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has ever invested energy, time, money, or whatever resource of theirs into helping the palace forward its agenda to restore the monarchy," he said seriously, making sure he made eye contact with everyone. Except Seungyoun, of course. He had too many thoughts and feelings for the guy, it would surely make him more emotional than he already was. And this really wasn't the best timing. So he continued, "I will never know how challenging it must have been for all of you to basically help me limp & crawl through this entire process, given that I come from a background that doesn't really prepare one for the lifestyle and the responsibilities of a crown prince. And though I haven't had the time to thank each one of you personally, and though there's no promise that all our hardwork will not be in vain, I still would like to let you all know that I am deeply honored to have met, to have known, and to have learned from each one of you. I will forever cherish and hold you all dear in my heart, whenever.  _Wherever_."

He paused for a while and proceeded carefully,  " Anything could happen once we leave this room or, by some circumstance... maybe even leave this palace. But whatever may happen, I wish you all wouldn't forget how indebted I feel towards you and I hope we could all move forward with smiles and no regrets..." His voice cracked then and only then did he realize that unshed tears had began flooding his eyes. He had half the mind to realize that this may have caused some members of the Imperial Team to be alarmed or confused, but he didn't dare check who. He had a few good guesses anyway.

So he settled with clearing his throat and mustering a smile once he was sure his eyes were clear of the telltale shimmer that would give away more than he wanted. "Thank you," he concluded, "Let's give ourselves a hand."

The room burst in applause save for two people who were unmoving, hawklike eyes trained on the prince, detecting more than Hangyul was letting on—Yohan and Seungyoun; both aware that something was up. _Something bad._

So when the applause died down and Hanshik declared, "We'll forever have the honor of serving you, Your Highness," before declaring the meeting adjourned, Hangyul quickly rose from his chair without sparing anyone a word or a glance, and took the side exit of the hall instead of the main one leading to the courtyards which everyone was using.

He was halfway down the hall to his room—he needed to unload all the emotions he was trying his damnedest to hide—when someone swiftly grabbed & gently tugged at his wrist so that he whirled around to face the culprit.

"Hey..." Seungyoun whispered, running a hand through his hair as soon as he let Hangyul's wrist go.

Their last interaction with each other didn't really make for an anticipated next-meeting, yet here they were. As if they can't stay away from each other for too long. And although his insticts & reflexes were asking him to flee in self-preservation, Hangyul wasn't going to run away like before. Not again. Not now.  _Not yet._

"Hey," the prince said, turning fully around so that he was facing Seungyoun. He did a quick check of the halls to see if they had company, before giving the older a forced inquisitive smile. "What's up?" he asked, as if they didn't owe each other an hours-long conversation after they'd practically admitted to their feelings for each other the last time.  <strike> Although Seungyoun's was half-assed. </strike>

Meanwhile, Seungyoun was rocking back and forth on his heels as if he was antsy about what he had to say and though that should quiet some of Hangyul's worries, it didn't really. It just made the prince sad. When will they ever have a conversation that wasn't so loaded with so much emotions?

Hangyul knew that there was only so much that his poor, battered heart could take, so he prayed that whatever Seungyoun had to say wasn't branded with his usual attraction-and-jealousy-saturated-with-and-hidden-under-cockiness-and-denial again. So you would forgive the younger's suprise when Seungyoun just answered almost warily, "I just wanted to check if you're okay..." 

And it sounded all too genuinely concerned, that iteffectively disarmed Hangyul the same time it made his treacherous stomach flutter.

Despite the prince's words of appreciation addressed to everyone earlier, Seungyoun detected an immense amount of sorrow, regret, and resignation from Hangyul. And it was as unsettling as it was alarming. It was as if Hangyul had just completely given up on something important & dear to him; and that he was rearing to let go of it and finally say goodbye.

But Seungyoun wasn't about to let it be Hangyul's feelings for him, nor Hangyul's fight to become South Korea's reigning crown prince. (He was indecisive like that.) So he was compelled to go after the prince once the meeting was over, just to check for himself that Hangyul was okay. That the younger wasn't planning on doing anything crazy like, _"Oh, I don't know, run away, hide, and disappear of the face of the earth?"_

_Crazy_ , Seungyoun admitted to himself, but he wouldn't take his chances nor put it past Hangyul to be on the verge of caving under pressure and not tell anyone in fear of causing them to worry.

Seungyoun didn't show it, but he also half-expected some sass or lashing retort from the prince given how cowardly he himself had been during their last confrontation. It was, after all, the only reasonable reaction anyone would have, but Hangyul just gave him a sad smile instead, and it conveyed so much that Seungyoun's heart hurt.

"Yes, I am," Hangyul said, "Or rather, _I _ _will be_ . I have to be, Seungyoun-ssi. Thank you."

Seungyoun noted that the younger's voice was less tense than it was during the meeting, but it was Hangyul's eyes that were different. It scared him. They were shuttered and hollow, albeit still able to pierce through Seungyoun's soul at the same time. It put him on edge. And paired with the prince's closing speech that sounded eerily like some farewell, Seungyoun just had to go after Hangyul. And cling. And start making things right.

But it seemed like Hangyul was adamant about making the task easy for Seungyoun, when the prince bowed his head a fraction and made to resume heading back to his room.

But Seungyoun wouldn't let him. Not again. Not this time.

So the older galloped until he was about two steps ahead of the prince, turning around to face Hangyul and effectively blocking his way, before looking down on the younger's face which held a look of slight surprise in it.

"You're scaring me, _Hangyul-ah_..." Seungyoun confessed unabashedly, unmindful of how closely they were standing in front of each other now, so much so that they could feel each other's breaths on their faces. "Look. I know that after the last time, you may think that I--"

He was interrupted by Hangyul talking over him. "You don't have to do this, please, Seungyoun-ssi..." the younger pleaded, voice holding no resentment whatsoever. His request was sincere. But also resigned, as if he was just tired. As if he'd given up.

_Tired of what, dammit?! Given up what?!_ Seungyoun wanted to ask, but he knew he had to take it one baby step at a time... So he took a deep breath instead and held it even as he braved reaching out so that the back of his fingers were gingerly touching Hangyul's; prepared to be shaken off but so damn scared to be._ "_ _I'm sorry..."_ he announced shakily, letting the phrase hang in the air between them for a few moments so that the apology would sink in on Hangyul exactly how he wanted it to.

He was sorry for last time, and all the times he'd broken Hangyul's heart and made him doubt the sincerity of his affections. "I'm terrible with words," he explained a little out of the blue, continuing, "And I'm a terrible person. And you, of all people, know that firsthand. But I have no idea why you don't seem to mind that, seriously. But I _am_ sorry..."

A pause; head hanging and fingers still moving softly against the prince's. "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I don't deserve to be in front of you like this, saying these, but here I am anyway, and  _I'm so so sorry_ _..._"

Hangyul was taken aback—no, that was an understatement. He was astonished beyond words and he could only raise his head a little to peer up at the elder who sounded so afraid. He wanted to reach out and tell Seungyoun that the apology was no longer necessary since he'd forgiven him already without it, but he had the pride enough to know that the apology was warranted. That it wasn't for nothing that Seungyoun was saying sorry.

Seungyoun wasn't even looking at him, Hangyul noted with a bit of amusement, as the older's eyes were on their fingers that were still touching and reaching out to each other so hesitantly. "And I know there's so much grovelling that I owe. A lot of heartbreak I need and want to make up to you for. _I know, Hangyul-ah. _I know there's so much more that we need to talk about," the older admitted, "But for now, I hope that this much is okay," he whispered, "I hope that you would let me promise you that I'm neither walking away or pushing you away ever again."

That made the prince gasp softly, despite his senses zoning in on just the sensation of the older's fingers playing so gently with his own. He still had trouble wrapping his head around what he was hearing & what was happening; couldn't believe that Seungyoun was standing in front of him, searching his eyes for forgiveness and so much more. Permission. Returned affection.

But Hangyul only had a lopsided smile to offer Seungyoun now. He'd wanted this but now that it was here, the prince realized that it was all too much all too soon. But he gave Seungyoun a small nod, nevertheless, helpless to deny the older completely, causing the air to whoosh out of Seungyoun's lungs in relief.

"A literal angel..." Seungyoun whispered in a broken voice, unable to stop himself from surging forward to plant a kiss on top of the prince's head, and instantly pulling away in guilt, as if he hadn't meant to do what he just did. He immediately checked to see if anyone could have seen, and saw none, except the reddening of Hangyul's cheeks which was all too endearing.

He couldn't help but frown. He wanted to so badly to kiss him again. On the lips, this time, and without the influence of alcohol. But he couldn't.

They'll need to talk about the two of them first, and do it really soon, Seungyoun committed. But for now, he just needed to know what was bothering Hangyul. "How can I help, hmm?" Seungyoun asked. 

The prince looked down at where Seungyoun was still gently playing with his fingers, almost as if he was beckoning Hangyul's fingers to intertwine themselves with his. And with a forlorn voice, Hangyul breathed, "Just... Just stay on my side while you can, please."

At this, Seungyoun's fingers stilled, before they clasped both the younger's hands between his.

_While you can?_ "What do you mean?" the older asked in panic, now bending down a little so that he was eye-level with Hangyul whose eyes were still on their hands. He waited and wanted for the prince to meet his gaze so he could understand better, but he felt more than realized that the chances of getting Hangyul to actually talk were slim given where they are. So against his better judgment, he sighed and tugged on Hangyul's wrist with a softly-spoken "Come with me..."

Perplexed, the younger tilted his head in confusion, but followed him nevertheless. 

Seungyoun was smart. He knew he couldn't be seen dragging the prince into his own room so instead of taking the hallways, he resorted to using connecting doors and rooms on the way to his bedroom, careful to first check if anyone would see them. He'd promptly let go of Hangyul's wrist whenever they had to pass by a palace guard or maid, but the younger would reach out and hesitantly intertwine his fingers with Seungyoun's as soon as the coast was clear.

And it made Seungyoun's heart soar, and his own cheeks warm. He didn't deserve Hangyul, but he refused to think about that now.

"T-This is your room..." Hangyul dumbly and oh so cutely pointed out once they were inside and suddenly, Seungyoun was nervous for the most obvious reasons.

The older answered with a "Mm-hmm," before he braved to wrap his arms around the younger's shoulders, pulled him in, and let his lips rest on top of Hangyul's head. "I hope that this, too, is okay..." he muttered.

This was all Hangyul had ever daydreamed about; Seungyoun returning his affections. But he knew it wasn't that simple. But maybe reality could wait and afford to be put on hold for just a bit, too. He'll live in the now for just a little bit if only to alleviate the dread for what he knew he had to do.

Nevertheless, Hangyul shifted so that his head was tucked under Seungyoun's chin; his ear placed on the elder's chest, and reciprocated the embrace with arms wrapped around the older's waist.

They stayed that way in silence for a few moments until Seungyoun spoke against his head, voice muffled by the prince's soft mop of unstyled hair. "You're ok, right?"

Hangyul didn't answer, only resorting to bury his cheek deeper against the older's chest, as if afraid to let go and to be let go.

"Hangyul-ah, you're really ok? You're not going to do some crazy shit like upping and leaving the palace?" Seungyoun asked, chuckling mirthlessly at the silliness of his own thoughts.

"As if you'd bat an eyelash if I disappeared!" Hangyul tried to make a lighthearted joke, making Seungyoun tighten his arms around the younger.

"You don't know my heart, Your Highness. You would be surprised how much it scares me to--"

He was silenced when the prince pulled apart slightly and craned up to place a courageous barely-there peck on the older's lips. "I think I have an idea," he whispered, lips almost grazing Seungyoun's even as he spoke.

And Seungyoun did commit that he would wait; that they would first have to have the talk. But with Hangyul making the first move, he just didn't have the strength to deny himself anymore. "Hangyul-ah," he whispered after he snapped out of the trance which the prince's kiss put him in.

"Hmmm?"

"You do know you can't pull something like that on me and expect me to not do anything about it, too, right?" he asked, looking down on Hangyul who had the audacity to be so cute as to prop his chin up on the older's chest so that he was looking up at Seungyoun and clinging onto him like a koala bear.

And for the first time, Hangyul smiled in a way that finally _finally_ reached his eyes_._ "And you do realize that you switch between calling me  _Your Highness_ and  _Hangyul-ah_, right?" he playfully pointed out, teasingly & deliberately ignoring Seungyoun's question.

"Yah, Lee Hangyul..." Seungyoun warned.

Hangyul clicked his tongue and presented Seungyoun a challenge that he knew the older was powerless to turn down. "Shut up and just kiss me,  _Seungyoun hyung_ ..."

And with a request like that, Cho Seungyoun didn't have to be asked twice. 

*

If you asked Seungyoun what changed since his last confrontation with Hangyul, he'd say that there wasn't much. He already felt as intensely for Hangyul then than he did now; already longed to hold him and protect him.

It may have taken days, but Wooseok was right. It was just a matter of counting his cost—what he'd rather lose or give up, and what he couldn't imagine living without. And somewhere along the way, with the prince and his wide-eyed trust in him, his determination to become worthy of being South Korea's Crown Prince, and the absence of any malice, resentment, and bitterness in the younger, Seungyoun had fallen. Hard. Irreversibly.

He'd spend days wondering if the younger wondered about him too; wondering how Hangyul would taste and sound like in the throes of passion. And he'd spend nights longing to bridge the gap between their worlds and their pursuits; longing to be the one who protects Hangyul from anything and everything that may harm him.

It hadn't been easy, and Seungyoun would be the first person to admit that he'd ended up hurting Hangyul one too many times during the process, but he knew now: Between Hangyul and his inheritance, it was hands down, no doubt, _Lee Hangyul. _

And it wasn't right that Kim Wooseok already knew this, yet the prince himself didn't. And Seungyoun really intended to let Hangyul know of this the soonest, if only to appease the younger's mind which he suspected was plagued with self-doubt and insecurities, what with how Seungyoun had been treating him until now.

But how could Seungyoun do that now?

How could he even have room for anything else in his mind, when Hangyul was right now melting in his arms, returning the tentative kisses he was giving him, and chasing his lips shyly with his own?

Seungyoun hadn't even been able to keep track of how long they'd been in each other's embrace, pressing their own bodies as close as they could against each other's, as if the concept of letting go didn't exist. He just knew that when Hangyul asked to be kissed, he damn near fell on his knees in joy, before he'd arrested the younger's face in his hands then ducked to press the gentlest kiss he was capable of, onto the prince's willing & waiting lips, once. Then one more time—equally soft—until Hangyul, in his imaptience, stood on his toes to surge upwards and capture his lips.

He couldn't help the sound of delighted suprise that escaped him when Hangyul unwound his arms from around his waist to have it around his neck instead. And the prince answered to the sound with an impatient whine of his own that had Seungyoun smiling in the kiss with a hum of amusement.

And now, with the need to catch their own breaths, Hangyul had his forehead laying in the center of Seungyoun's chest, shoulders heaving with every pant.

The older was overly conscious of how there laid before the two of them a choice. But also a chance at a deeper, more real sense of intimacy to be shared and Seungyoun was almost vibrating in want, but only if the prince wanted it, too.

Seungyoun leaned back and nudged softly so that the prince was looking up at him, but the sight was too distracting, with Hangyul's lips red, moist, and his hair sticking on its ends in various directions. He couldn't even remember carding his fingers through the prince's hair but here before him now was the evidence of it.

He gathered the focus & strength to raise a hand to gently raise the older's chin so that they were staring at each other. He feared that his eyes reflected a desire that the prince didn't reciprocate or couldn't quench, but Seungyoun had to know.

He unconsciously bit down on his bottom lip at his own hesitation, consequently tasting the younger on his lips, but before he could form the question, Hangyul shyly let his hand trail up his chest so fatally slowly, making all of Seungyoun's senses come alive, except for his brain that had effectively short circuited.

The older gulped visibly; his want too strong he wouldn't know how to prepare himself for whichever the prince's answer was, but once again, Hangyul saved him the trouble.

"I want this only if you do, hyung..." Hangyul whispered, giving Seungyoun a reassuring nod that sure looked like the go-signal the older needed.

And Seungyoun's face split into a smile that was so wide and so bright, the younger had to mirror it. "Oh I do, Hangyul-ah... You have no idea how much I do..."

And those were the last words they'd exchanged before they were molding their own bodies against each other again, lips moving more frantically and desperately now.

Seungyoun started moving backwards so that they were headed towards the direction of his bed and Hangyul— _damn, Hangyul_ —had begun unbuttoning not only his shirt but also Seungyoun's.

A slight shiver ran down the older's spine as his chest was exposed to the coolness of the room, and as the prince boldly pulled Seungyoun's head down so that the older's nose & lips were buried in the column of his neck; both only mildly aware that the back of Seungyoun's knees had hit the edge of the bed.

And it was beginning to become all too much. The sensations. The relief. The vague sense that in each other's arms was definitely where they were both meant to be.

Seungyoun sat on the bed, pulling Hangyul down with him so that the younger automatically sat himself on the older's lap, limbs winding around the older almost possessively.

The older had his dress shirt unbuttoned all the way, pushed off his shoulders, and hanging off of his elbows yet when he pulled away for a moment to admire & look at Hangyul, all the oxygen left his lungs.

The prince had never looked so majestic and ethereal than now on his lap, shirt half-unbuttoned, panting with his eyes closed, lips half-parted as if he was waiting for the older to kiss him again.

And Seungyoun wouldn't keep him waiting.

*

Seungyoun could vaguely remember waking up a few hours past midnight to Hangyul curiously, innocently and lazily moving over his body; loving on his body as if he was some wonder that was worthy of not only being explored but being appreciated. And though he felt like he didn't deserve it; felt like he should be the one admiring every inch of Hangyul, he couldn't say no.

_I love you__,_ he remembered feeling the words dance on the tip of his tongue. _I love you so much... I love you more than anyone or anything..._

Then in the wee hours of the morning, he woke up to their naked bodies plastered against each other under the sheets, limbs entangled. He could recall shifting and pulling (and whining) so that Hangyul's head was laid on his chest instead of his arms.

It all felt like a dream when the younger complied despite being half-asleep, murmuring some half-incoherent complaint of _"So clingy..." _as if they'd done this a million times before. 

He may have replied with some joke and then some endearment, but he couldn't recall the words exactly. 

So it was only natural that Seungyoun woke up with a smile. A smile that quickly faltered when he realized that he was alone in the bed before reality hit him—they were in his bedroom in the palace. 

Seungyoun sighed and then stretched languidly, trying and failing to keep himself from smiling like a fool despite his limbs aching & feeling sore in the most delicious of ways, and for the most obvious of reasons.

He couldn't wait to see Hangyul again, and see the younger blush at the reminder of how intimately they've gotten to know each other the previous night. He couldn't wait to tell him, finally, that it would all be okay now. That his inheritance could be damned. That he couldn't wait to watch him be crowned Prince of South Korea, and make the nation fall in love with him. The same way Seungyoun did.

He simply couldn't wait.

But Hangyul was nowhere to be seen that day, and he wouldn't answer neither Seungyoun's messages nor his calls.

The older thought that maybe Hangyul was somewhat embarrassed to face him after discovering the secrets of each other's pleasures (and that would be so like him!) but the more realistic part of his brain was feeding him other, more negative possibilities. But he'd chosen to ignore them for the most part of the day, and he'd been successful so far.

However, an unprecedented sense of dread made his stomach turn when, by dinnertime, Yohan rushed up to him with a panicked and distressed look on his face.

Sensing that something was utterly wrong,  Seungyoun almost begged his younger childhood friend to not say anything as he didn't think he would be able to take it if the bad news was about the prince's welfare. But Yohan already had a strong grip on his forearms as if he was asking him for help, of all people. "Seungyoun hyung... Hangyul might have ran away & left the palace for good..."

The weight of the world seemed to have fallen on Seungyoun's shoulders and suddenly he couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't breathe. "W-What do you mean, Yohan-ah?"

"Hangyul is missing-- N-No," Yohan declared with a demeanor of defeat and helplessness. "Hangyul has left the palace with all of his things in tow."

And it could be the sound of his heart breaking or his world crumbling, but Seungyoun was suddenly deaf to everything except the ringing in his ears that put everything on mute and in slow motion, the world dimming and switching from technicolor to gray.

He realized his worries and fears last night when he set to go after Hangyul weren't unfounded and irrational. The prince had really been planning to run away. From him. From everything.

No.

_No._

He hasn't even told Hangyul about willingly signing his inheritance off to the palace. He hasn't even told Hangyul that he loved him.

_Lee Hangyul, where are you? Goddammit!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this one (i hope) had a better ending than the last two.
> 
> what do you think about the chapter? and what was your favorite part? pls do tell me over at [twitter](http://twitter.com/choimineul) or [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/choimineul)! i'm @choimineul in both platforms.
> 
> as always, ANY comment would be greatly appreciated :( and also, if you need someone equally delulu over seungyul/chogyul as you or someone equally adamant about giving up the fight to bring x1 back, then dont be shy! shoot me a dm or whateva. i promise im friendly uwu


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all im not readysjdjdj (tysm so those who patiently waited) leggo (for the last time!)~

"Yohan, any news?" Seungyoun asked for the umpteenth time regarding Hangyul's whereabouts, as he barged into the study hall where the palace maids said he could find his younger friend.

Hangyul still hasn't returned to the palace and to wait was the only thing that Seungyoun was stuck to doing since pulling some strings have proved ineffective & futile. He'd gone to Hanshik University to get Hangyul's home address, but whenever he went to the one-storey house which the address pointed to, no one was ever home. Added to that, all the info he's gathered so far left Seungyoun with no choice but to begrudgingly believe that Hangyul premeditated his disappearance, and that the prince was prepared to cover up his tracks once he left.

The fruitlessness of all his efforts had turned his days bleak, dreary, and empty. Why the hell would Hangyul even run away less than a month before the national voting? And right after the two of them have made up, and come full circle after months of skirting around their attraction; their love for each other? These questions boggled Seungyoun's mind and kept him up until the wee hours of the morning. Was Hangyul eating well? Did he have anyone to soothe his worries? Hangyul was an overthinker. Did he have anyone to talk to? Was he thinking about Seungyoun, too?

_ I love you so much; more than anything _ _,_ the words played around in Seungyoun's head again, making his tongue itch at the compulsion to speak the words to Hangyul. If only he'd gotten the chance to say them to the prince the morning after they'd made love...

Seungyoun had a really good feeling about the national voting with how the media was portraying Hangyul and although that could also just be Hanshik paying off these media outlets, at the end of the day, how the hell would Hangyul be crowned prince if he wasn't here? So in the meantime, the Imperial Team kept mum about the entire ruckus of Hangyul running away.

A meeting was called the day Hangyul disappeared and everyone agreed that the prince's disappearance should not fall into the ears of someone outside their team. Not even the palace maids and guards should catch wind of this.

But the question of who helped the prince sneak out of the palace was still a question that bugged Seungyoun, of course, since Hangyul wouldn't have been able to pull off running away with all his personal things in tow without an accomplice. But bringing Hangyul back to the palace before the voting results were announced was more pressing than getting to the bottom of that last concern. So for now, anyone who asked will be given an untruthful answer:  _ "The prince asked to spend time with his family before the voting commences, and it was granted by the Imperial Team. He'll be back before the results are broadcasted." _

And as if the love of his life running away wasn't enough, Seungyoun's grandfather was at risk of having a heart attack if not a stroke from the stress over the prince's disappearance, too. That may just be one less Imperial Team key member to aid with the search. But for Seungyoun, it was uncertainty over the welfare of the two most important people in his life.

If his grandfather was well, he would for sure hire the country's best team of private investigators to follow Hangyul's almost undetectable trail—the same way he uncovered the identity and found the long lost son of Princess Lee Seol months ago—but Hanshik was advised bed rest for the remainder of the week.

"Your grandfather is not a teenager anymore," their family doctor had advised Seungyoun, "The less stress, the faster he could resume to being out and about," so Seungyoun didn't want to worsen his grandfather's condition by pressing for assistance in search for the country's crown prince.

Besides, the Imperial Team collectively agreed that they would assure Hanshik each opportunity they get regarding the search for Hangyul and just hope the odds weren't stacked against their favor. They all needed both Hangyul and Hanshik safe & sound, alive & well.

For now, Seungyoun had no other choice but to rely on Yohan. After all, the guy probably valued his best friend almost as much as Seungyoun valued his...  _Dammit_ , Seungyoun cursed inside his head. He really should've settled the score with Hangyul the last time, before they let their desperation and desire distract them into doing... well, things.

As much as he wanted, Seungyoun could admit that he wasn't in the best mental, emotional, and physical state to fully involve himself in Yohan's search also. Hangyul's disappearance made him all sorts of confused, lonely, regretful, scared, and insecure. He'd been edgy and high-strung, and Wooseok, of course, hadn't failed to point it out so harshly not just once since Hangyul ran away.

Seungyoun had been restless, if not spacing out, unmotivated, and just uninterested in doing life; even the most mundane tasks proved to be a chore when his stomach could only churn in worry over Hangyul. He couldn't focus, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't damn function half as much as he needed to as part of the Imperial Team. And though he felt sorry, he just couldn't fake being okay. 

For the past few days, whenever Seungyoun would do his regular checking in on Yohan's progress with the search, the younger would always answer with a regretful look on his face, and no more words would be necessary. The expression would only mean that there'd been no recent development, and that Hangyul has neither replied to any messages nor answered any of his best friend's calls, just as he did with Seungyoun's and Hanshik's.

But today was different and hope bloomed from Seungyoun's stomach up to his chest when, after asking the same question, Yohan visibly gulped and avoided his gaze instead, muttering a "Still no progress, hyung."

Seungyoun's heart leapt. Either Yohan has found Hangyul, or he'd gathered valuable leads.

"Tell me where I could find him," Seungyoun demanded, and calling Yohan out on his bluff upfront. The whole scenario gave him a sense of dèja vu as he was brought back to the memory of when he barged in Yohan's office in Hanshik University looking for Hangyul, too.

Who would have thought that the Lee Hangyul who he'd been searching for then to eliminate from the scenario, would become the same Lee Hangyul who was now the single most important person in Seungyoun's life?

"And don't tell me you haven't found him, Kim. You're still as bad a liar as you were when we were kids."

Yohan sighed, pushing away from the table and rising to stretch his neck muscles left & right, as if he was torn between listening to his best friend and doing the right thing. He had his back facing Seungyoun now, hands on his waist, shoulders tense, and eyes raised to the ceiling. 

"I'm not going to ask again, Kim--"

"Look, Seungyoun hyung..." he offered without turning face the older, shoulders drooping and head dropping. "Hangyul specifically asked me not to tell you."

It was Seungyoun's turn to let his stance curl into that of defeat. "Did he tell you why?" he asked in a small voice, unsure whether he wanted to hear the answer or not. 

"He just said he has his reasons and that it was for the best..."

Seungyoun highly disagreed. How and why does something which was supposed to be "for the best" feel like this?

*

Yohan felt bad siding with his best friend rather than the whole Imperial Team, although his inner compass is still telling him that Hangyul's "reasons" weren't reason enough.

Seungyoun had stormed & stomped out of the study hall promptly after he realized that Yohan wasn't going to sell his best friend out. Just like before. And that gave Yohan some time to decide what he should do about his knowledge of the nation's crown prince's whereabouts. But not for long, because in came Han Seungwoo with an urgent look on his face now.

"Han Seungwoo-ssi," Yohan acknowledged the older, rising from his seat with an inquisitive look on his face and setting his dilemma aside.

"Did I catch you in a bad time?" Seungwoo asked, closing the double doors behind him. He brushed his jet black hair away from his face once his hands were free, and looked at everywhere but Yohan.

"No, no," Yohan shook his head, finding the frazzled countenance of the older both refreshing and endearing. Seungwoo had been nothing but put-together all the previous times they'd interacted. "Please, have a seat," the younger offered, sitting himself down, too. 

"Hangyul told me you'd found him..." Seungwoo began, sporting now a guilty look on his face which made him look about five years younger, eliciting a chuckle out of Yohan despite the gravity of the matter at hand.

"Yes, and he told me that you were the one who aided him in getting both himself and his things out of the palace," Yohan stated matter-of-factly, realizing there's no "setting aside" that he could do regarding the matter of Hangyul's whereabouts.

Seungwoo rubbed a hand down his face in exhaustion. Or was it guilt at being found out? "It's not really an easy task to say 'No' to Hangyul. He was practically begging and he could be persuasive..."

Yohan raised an eyebrow at that, interest piqued at how it was implied that his best friend and Seungwoo were closer than most people in the palace probably assumed. "You're helpless to say 'No' to him, too? Well, that makes the two of us," the younger observed with a chuckle. "Don't even get me started with his aegyo."

The former diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs giggled onto his fist at that, eyes crinkling in the corners, and it didn't take long before Yohan joined in on the fit of giggles.

It was a great way to relieve both themselves of the stress that Hangyul's disappearance brought onto the Imperial Team, and was sort of an ice breaker between the two as well. They're both thankful that they didn't have to bear the secret by themselves anymore, and relieved that Hangyul was, ultimately, okay. That was Yohan's biggest concern anyway.

It was in this situation that Kim Wooseok walked in on them, shamelessly showing an irate look on his face. "I can't believe that people have the audacity to goof around at a time such as this," he muttered in antagonism & loud enough for both Yohan and Seungwoo to hear, implying that the traces of smile on the two's faces were not lost to him.

"I'll take that as my queue to leave," Seungwoo said, clearing his throat and giving Yohan a dashing smile that effectively made the youngest's ears turn red for some unknown reason. "By the way, Yohan. I hope you--" he cut himself off, now that Wooseok was within earshot. "I hope I wasn't-- Uhm, that I'm not--" he stammered, not knowing how to discuss what they'd just been talking about.

"Seungwoo-ssi," Yohan interrupted with a bashful smile of his own, and rising from his seat, "No one's in trouble. You have nothing to fret over. We'll... We'll talk some other time, yes? Hopefully in better & lighter circumstances."

"I'll look forward to that," Seungwoo quipped with a side-smile (that wasn't flirty at all!), bowing both to Wooseok and Yohan before exiting the room.

As soon as the ex-lovers were left alone, Wooseok scoffed and jumped straight for the kill, bellowing, "Would you wait for the media to find out that their beloved prince had fled the palace with his tail between his legs or for Seungyoun to pull his own hair out, or worse, for Sajangnim's health to continue declining before telling us where Hangyul-ssi is?!"

_Right._ Of course, Seungyoun tattled on Yohan to Wooseok.

Yohan breathed in a lungful of oxygen and let it out in a loud whoosh before responding to Wooseok in a display of distress. "Look, Wooseokie hyung. Honestly, I don't get why you two aren't rejoicing. It's not like you actually and genuinely want my best friend to return. So I would appreciate it if you two could just back off of this, and leave me & my best friend alone because Hangyul specifically told me that I am not to let..."  _ Seungyoun hyung know about it... _

_ Only Seungyoun hyung. _

Suddenly, and with so much clarity, Yohan also remembered something that Hangyul promised him some months ago...

_"I just don't want my friend disappearing is all," Yohan remembered telling Hangyul half-jokingly, dropping the topic of the prince attempting to fly out to some unknown country to escape the truth about his identity, as quickly as he let his temper flare when he realized Hangyul was with Seungyoun. He never really could stay mad at Hangyul anyways. "Not without my knowledge and not without me."_

_The prince chuckled and punched Yohan lightly on the arm. "Fine, the next time I'm running away, you'll be the first one I'll tell," he joked right back, seemingly relieved and thankful for Yohan letting the topic go._

_Yeah, right_, Yohan now thought, recalling the gruelling past days of looking for Hangyul while juggling his concern over Sajangnim's health with making sure (along with the rest of the Imperial Team) that no one snitches on them, and informs the media about the prince's disappearance. 

Yohan chanced a glance at Wooseok whose arms were crossed over his chest, clearly waiting for Yohan to continue what he was about to say before the younger trailed off to remember that (1) Technically, Hangyul only asked that Seungyoun doesn't find out; (2) Technically, Yohan didn't verbally promise Hangyul anything; he just hugged his best friend and let him know he'll always side with him; and (3) Technically, Hangyul considered what Yohan was about to do as a broken promise then that would just make them even.

Because clearly, it was Han Seungwoo whom Hangyul told about his plans to run away and Yohan wouldn't even have found Hangyul if he hadn't spent days bribing Dohyon, Hangyul's adopted younger brother and other best friend, with (1) pork ribs every single day after school for two weeks; (2) a promise to train him to become a Taekwondo black belter; and (3) an exclusive scoop on who his Hangyul hyung was so heartbroken over.

Look, he loved and cherished Hangyul more than anyone in this world but Yohan knew that the fate of Hangyul, Seungyoun, and heck, the entire nation will be determined by what he has now decided to do: He will tell Wooseok where Hangyul is, and let fate run its course so that hopefully, Seungyoun could get his head out of his ass and bring Hangyul back to the palace before the voting commences and Lee Hangyul was crowned Prince of South Korea.

(Yeah, he believed that the voting results will be in the Imperial Team's favor which is all the more reason to do this... right?)

"Fine. I'll tell you, Wooseokie hyung..."

Wooseok was dumbfounded into blinking his doe eyes at Yohan in confusion, as the younger's sudden change of heart sank in. And since he was, indeed, the trio's most discerning, Wooseok knew that Yohan had an underlying motive for telling him and not Seungyoun. And he knew what that motive was.

Kim Yohan has not changed one bit, the older wistfully gathered. He's still the stubborn, selfless, but smart guy with a heart bigger than the Royal Palace itself.

Yohan would tell him so that he could tell Seungyoun so that Seungyoun could bring the prince back. For everyone's best interest. Yohan will temporarily betray his friend's confidence, for the greater good. Wooseok was sure of it.

At the same time, it was also Yohan's childish way of making sure he isn't the one who actually & literally tells Seungyoun. What a kid. A dumbly cute kid.

However, this raised a question and Wooseok will be damned to keep it to himself now that they were at the edge of something that could literally change the course of South Korea's history. "You want me to relay to Seungyoun where Hangyul is? Why?" he asked before he could overthink it.

"W-What?" Yohan stammered in guilt, "I don't know what you are talking about..."

_Still a horrible liar_ _, _Wooseok mused.

"You want me to tell Seungyoun because you want him to go to Hangyul and bring him back," Wooseok said matter-of-factly, "Is it because you want Hangyul back? Or you want Hangyul back and happy... with Seungyoun?"

Yohan held back the wince that Wooseok elicited from how effortlessly & impossibly quick he figured the younger and his motives out. Add to the fact that he was a terrible liar to begin with, Wooseok obviously still knew him all too well. And he couldn't deny the truth that the older was forcing him to admit. So he just stared back at his ex-lover with guilt, all wild eyes, shrugging shoulders, and pursed lips.

"You mean, you don't like the prince?!" Wooseok asked, heart racing and brain reeling, before he could rein in his own tongue.

"I-- I don't... Not..." Yohan attempted at a denial, unsure why, how, and since when Wooseok had been under the wrong assumption that he liked his best friend, Hangyul, that way. 

And Wooseok realized that he was wrong, that much was certain. For once, his so-called sense of discernment actually failed him.

_Yohan._

_Yohan_ _,_ he wanted to chant his name, if only to ground himself to something. But one slip of the tongue was enough for the day. So he resorted to staring at the kid & searching the younger's big, dark, round eyes for a telltale hint of a lie.

_Yohan. Always Yohan. _ Breaking the circle. Kim Yohan; endearingly familiar & unchanging, but unpredictable at the rarest and most special of times. _Yohan._

The older felt his treacherous heart do a one-two skip inside his rib cage so he cleared his throat and did what he did best around Yohan—pretend that he'd moved on. Pretend that he no longer  hoped . "Whatever," he faked a laugh, making Yohan blink at him in bewilderment at the sudden shift in his mood, "It doesn't matter. Haha..."

And before either of them could process the moment that just passed between them, Wooseok has left the room.

*

When Seungyoun asked Wooseok to drive him to where he knew Hangyul was a few hours after dinnertime, he didnt expect to have to wait for about two hours before he caught a sighting of the prince— his prince—headed out of the building. Well, they didn't know which unit Hangyul was in anyways, so they had no choice but to park somewhere they can see anyone who will be coming in or out of the building.

It was past midnight now and Seungyoun should have expected that this was how Hangyul kept himself off the grid—making sure to go out only during the oddest possible hours, to avoid being seen. But when he finally did see Hangyul, Seungyoun couldn't have expected Hangyul to look so... _okay_; smiling at something that Han Seungwoo said, and comfortable to have his shoulder brushing Seungwoo's as they walked side by side.

It didn't even register to Seungyoun that he'd started seeing green when, in a flurry of movements, he got out of the car without a word and charged towards the pair who didn't see him approaching until a fist went flying to land on Han Seungwoo's cheek.

"You traitor!" Seungyoun roared in accusation, rage, and jealousy, the same time Hangyul realized what was happening with a scream of, "Ohmygod--!"

Seungyoun was about to approach Seungwoo who'd fallen a few steps backward from the force of the former's punch, nursing his now-bruised cheek and cut lip, but Hangyul stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Seungyoun hyung, stop!"

"I deserved that..." Seungwoo quietly said with a wince behind Hangyul.

Seungyoun took a hold of one of the prince's wrist, tugged on it so that the younger stumbled a step closer to him, and called out over Hangyul's shoulder, "Damn right you did, you--"

"Stop it, please!" Hangyul begged, closing the distance between him and Seungyoun, wrapping his arms around the older's waist, more of a restraint than an act of intimacy.

"Yeah, I deserved that..." Seungwoo repeated, voice now sounding more steady, "But not for the reasons you're thinking, Cho."

Silence. And then hurried footsteps. Wooseok's. "Han Seungwoo-ssi?" the confused curator of The Cho Museum asked, as he recognized the other male. His poor vision didn't allow him to recognize Seungwoo from the car, so he was shell-shocked at the scenario before him.

There was a tense stretch of silence once again as Wooseok's mind worked to put two and two together and figure out why his childhood friend was red in the face with rage, why Han Seungwoo looked shaken with a bruise forming on his cheek, and why Hangyul had his arms around Seungyoun as if he was keeping the two older males away from each other.  _Hmmm_, he belatedly mused inside his head.

"Let's leave the two to talk," he offered to Seungwoo, casting a sideways glance to where Hangyul still had his arms wrapped around Seungyoun, heels digging on the floor to fight against Seungyoun who was still trying to pounce at Seungwoo. "I could bring you back to the palace."

"No need, thank you," Seungwoo politely declined, "Yohannie is on his way to pick me up." He was unaware of how Wooseok's face crumpled first in confusion, before it fell in an obvious disappointment.

_Yohannie? _ _ Hmmm.  _

When Wooseok just gave him a curt nod, Seungwoo moved his eyes to stare at the back of Hangyul's head, avoiding the pointed look that Seungyoun was still giving him.

He'd known Seungyoun before being hired by the Imperial Team. Who didn't know the heir of The Cho Conglomerate? The ever cool, aloof, sharp Cho Seungyoun. He couldn't believe that all it took was a charming, adorable, sweet person like Hangyul (save for the fact that Hangyul was South Korea's Crown Prince) to elicit such an uncharacteristic reaction from Seungyoun. It was all so fascinating, but it wasn't as if he didn't have it in him to comprehend. Seungwoo had been on the receiving end of Hangyul's innocent, guileless charms, and look where it brought him. In the middle of an uncomfortable situation in the middle of a dark street with a bruise on his cheek.

"Hangyul-ah, the least you could do for me is explain everything to Cho, yeah?" he requested of the youngest, as if his cheek & lip weren't throbbing in pain. 

Hangyul wordlessly nodded without turning to look at him, and was gauging to see if it was safe to loosen his hold around Seungyoun when the headlights of Yohan's car pierced through the dark street.

With his heart beating erratically inside his chest at how unprepared he was to see Cho Seungyoun so soon after he ran away, to have the man whom he'd practically given up everything to & for—his heart, his body, his title—in his embrace like this despite the unromantic scene they were in, Hangyul was only vaguely conscious of how Seungwoo met Yohan halfway as the history professor tried to approach his best friend but was stopped by the oldest with hushed explanations which Hangyul couldn't hear nor understand.

It seemed like it was time to face the music, Hangyul thought.

He hadn't expected Seungyoun to come after him when letting things the way they were would mean Seungyoun will get the full share of his inheritance. He didn't think it mattered to the older. Yes, after Seungyoun's repeated mistake of betraying his trust, he didn't think he actually mattered. Even after the intimate night they spent together.

After a while, the closing of one, two, three car doors were heard and sooner than Hangyul was ready for, they were alone in the street and as he was about to let go, Seungyoun's arms came around him as if urging him to never let go.

"Please don't disappear again like that, idiot!" Seungyoun huffed with a hand holding Hangyul's head to his shoulder.

And Hangyul was helpless to deny himself the luxury of having Seungyoun so close. So he soaked in the older's scent and warmth for maybe three heartbeats, before he jumped in to tackle the inevitable. "Let's talk inside, hyung..."

*

"It's my sister-in-law's sister's place," Hangyul explained as Seungyoun entered the unit behind him, looking around the place where Hangyul had been in hiding since he left the palace. "She's married and is in Busan. You wouldn't have found me if Yohan had kept his promise..." he said, offering some bullshit of an explanation if that's what it was.

Hangyul removed his coat and was about to hang it over the back of the couch at the center of the room when a pair of arms looped around his waist from behind, pulling him against the massive wall that was Seungyoun's chest. "What a prince you are, abandoning the nation for who knows what selfish reason..." Seungyoun accused softly, voice no longer holding the venom it did when he was talking to Seungwoo. It was almost as if he was sadder than he was angry at Hangyul for running away. 

All the tension left the prince's body as he let Seungyoun maneuver him around so they were, once again, in an embrace.

Hangyul took a second to press his nose on Seungyoun's shoulder and inhale deeply the scent he so badly missed in the last few days. An apology was dancing on the tip of his tongue but he needed to make Seungyoun see it from his standpoint, too.

"Stupid, yes," he sighed onto the older's shoulder in surrender, voice muffled. "What I did—abandoning my responsibility—may seem, selfish, yes. But why I did it..." he turned his head to tuck it under the taller's head. "Do you know why?"

He felt the older shake his head before the ghost of a kiss was planted at the top of the prince's head. "Just say you'll return to the palace with me, please. Hangyul. It doesn't matter why you ran away in the first place. I-- I can't..." the older pleaded, grasping at straws. 

"It  _ does _ matter, Seungyoun hyung," Hangyul said with his own shake of his head as he pulled away, unwinding his arms from around the older. He held the older's hand and pulled so that they were seated on the couch, and he wasn't prepared for the film of tears that was probably blurring Seungyoun's vision now.

"Then make it make sense, Hangyul..." Seungyoun begged, voice sounding so broken as he snatched one of Hangyul's hand to press the younger's palm onto his cheek and hold it there with both hands. He closed his eyes, chest tight, rubbing his cheek against the warmth of the younger's hand, longing for the prince's touch.

And Hangyul could only inched closer, closing his own eyes to block the sight of Seungyoun looking so shattered and desperate before him. He laid his free hand on top of the older's thigh as he let his other thumb rub on the soft skin of Seungyoun's face, catching on the single lone tear that managed to escape.

"I don't want to be-- I  can't be the person that takes away everything that the person he loves, holds dear, Seungyoun hyung. It's too high a price for you to pay and I would never--" Hangyul took a second to take in a deep breath and opened his eyes to meet Seungyoun's gaze as he bared his soul to this person whom he've grown to love way too much. "I can't and I won't ask that of you..."

Seungyoun took both of Hangyul's hands and intertwined their fingers. "You left right after I thought I made it clear. Right after we'd made up..." he pointed out, with a hint of hurt at being betrayed lacing his voice. 

"I can't be the reason you lose your inheritance, Cho Seungyoun!" Hangyul declared once again, the intensity of his voice rising, as if he needed Seungyoun to not just understand but agree with him. "If you didn't matter so much to me, I--" Hangyul gasped, unable to say his next words and choosing instead to try a different route of explanation. "How can I even look you in the eyes knowing that I took everything from you--". He couldn't continue with all the emotions clogging up his throat, so he stood up from his seat, not wanting Seungyoun's closeness to affect the decision he's already made.

There was about a minute of quietness that lulled between them as Hangyul walked to the window where he had a view over Seoul. It was a brief period which Seungyoun used to search for the words which had no chance of being misinterpreted by the younger. He'd asked the prince to trust him before, and told him he was on his side already, yet in the end, Hangyul obviously still had doubts. In the end, Hangyul still ran away, unable to believe (or is it comprehend?) just how much Seungyoun was ready to give him and give up for him, too. His inheritance. His heart. His body. His soul. His future. Everything.

So he decided he'll try. One more time. And again, if Hangyul still didn't get it. Again and again, countless times, until it was clear to the prince. 

"If I tell you I'll happily sign my inheritance off to the palace, and not hold it against you-- Heck, I will do that if it's the one thing that will make you come back and finally  stay . Will you stay then?"

Slowly, Hangyul turned around to gape at Seungyoun with eyes wide as saucers, in the threshold separating wanting to believe and fearing the notion of believing only to be let down later on. His chest was heaving, and his breaths were short, brain in overdrive and unable to fully grasp what Seungyoun was telling him.

Seungyoun continued, rising to close the distance between him and the love of his life again. "If I willingly give up everything that you thought still mattered to me just to gain the one thing I now treasure the most— _ you _ —what will you do, Lee Hangyul?"

A gasp flew out of the prince's lips as he stumbled a step forward, arms reaching out to Seungyoun, grasping at the older's forearms, eyes desperate as if, without words, he was asking Seungyoun if he heard that correctly. If he was actually hearing what he thought he was hearing.

And Seungyoun caught him mid-stumble. A metaphor to the silent promise he made between the lines of his last question to Hangyul. He'll always be ready to let go of everything, hands empty, arms open & ready to catch Hangyul. 

"So what do you say?" Seungyoun asked.

"I--"  _I love you_ , Hangyul wanted to say. But he reeled in the words last minute and instead said, "I'm gonna tell you that you're stupid. And masochistic."

He wanted to ask Seungyoun verbally but one look at the older's eyes gave him all the answers, promises, and affection that were just what he needed and wanted. So he let a confused chuckle bubble up from where his tummy was swirling with emotions, up to his chest which struggled to contain his erratically beating heart, and out of his lips.

Seungyoun scoffed playfully, sniffing and wiping at the corner of his eyes, never one to bow out of banter, "Like you're any better; walking away from the crown for me. The stupidest of all, really."

Then the prince, blinking his tears away, had the audacity to pout cutely at that, and Seungyoun almost cooed at the sight. But the older settled with raising a hand to caress Hangyul's cheek with his thumb, instead.

Despite Hangyul's eyes that were brimming with tears, neither of them were worried. They both knew they were happy tears.

"I learned that that's how it is in love. We count our cost. We win some, we lose some," Seungyoun said as the younger closed his eyes at the tenderness of the moment.

It wasn't lost to them that Seungyoun dropped the L-word but there was an unreal sense of peace & calm at knowing for sure, finally, that with their cards laid down, upturned, and bared to each other, they were both winners in this game. But...

"I'm scared, Seungyoun-ssi..." Hangyul confessed in a whisper, closing the distance between them and plastering himself to the older, a wordless request to be once again engulfed in the older's arms.

Seungyoun sighed, a hand patting the back of Hangyul's head as his free arm pulled the prince close to him, and admitted, "I'll always be scared, too, Hangyul. Not of losing my inheritance. But of not having you in my life."

Hangyul rested his ear where he could hear the older's heart beating for him and let his arms come around and up so that his palms were on Seungyoun's shoulder blades. "Cheesy," he chuckled.

Seungyoun smiled, and unable to deny, he continued, "Other than that, I've got nothing else to fear. Because I've got all I want and all I need right here. Titles and crowns and media be damned." And he proved the weight and gravity of his words when he took the younger's face in his hands, ducked, and kissed the prince slowly and softly, pouring his days worth of longing into it, kissing languidly until they were exchanging the taste of the promise of an enduring love. 

There was no such thing as a perfect love. And with the way theirs started, it was safe to say theirs certainly wasn't. Each love was special though, and as Hangyul tipped up his chin to receive the kiss, Seungyoun knew with a certainty that theirs really was special. Very special. And they were set on making the night as special as their love was.

"Take me to bed, Seungyoun hyung..."

*

"Can I stay the night?" Seungyoun asked much later as he opened his arms for a still-naked Hangyul who'd just got done cleaning them up.

"I thought you were taking me back to the palace?" the younger chuckled, albeit puzzled at the older's request. He laid his head to pillow Seungyoun's left shoulder, the fingers of his left hand going straight to absentmindedly drawing random patterns over the gun tattoo on Seungyoun's hip.

"We'll still have to let the Imperial Team know that you're returning before the voting day, of course. But we have three days to spare. I'll handle it. The other three could help us."

Hangyul pushed himself up to kiss the underside of Seungyoun's jaw. "Okay," he said with a small, shy smile as if their naked limbs weren't entangled under the blankets.

"And just in case it still isn't clear, you poophead, I love you..." Seungyoun said with a teasing smile as he looked down on his prince who was now focused on hiding his face, as if the older couldn't see his ears turning an embarrassing deep shade of red.

"I love you. Say it back, Gyullie," Seungyoun repeated with a request, nudging with his shoulder so that the younger would look at him.

Hangyul made a petulant huffing sound at the back of his throat and said an "Iloveyoutoohyung" against the skin of the older's chest, words exiting his lips so quickly as if he was embarrassed, earning him a deep belly laughter from the older.

"You weren't this shy earlier when you were begging me to--"

"Oh my god! Shut up!"

=====

"Have you seen Yohan?" Wooseok asked as soon as he stepped foot inside Seungyoun's office, not bothering with any formalities or greetings whatsoever.

Seungyoun dropped what he was doing and flicked his wrist over to check the time. It was two hours before the Coronation Ceremony commences in the palace courtyards—a whole month after the nation voted to restore monarchy—Wooseok was up to finding their younger friend.

"Why?" Seungyoun asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow & and a knowing look that effectively irritated the shorter male. He thought that his two younger friends should really settle the score because surely there was still a lot of clarification that was demanding to be made between them, right?

"Cut the crap," Wooseok hissed in dismissal, "The palace maids told me the prince disappeared with Yohan as soon as the stylists got done fixing Hangyul up."

This managed to make Seungyoun rise from his seat with a serious look on his face. "What?!"

So the two proceeded to check the main halls and rooms around the palace together, but it wasn't until fifteen minutes of futile searching had elapsed that either of them thought to report the situation to the dedicated royal bodyguards who should have never let Hangyul out of their sight in the first place, especially at such an important date like today.

"Kim Yohan-ssi and Your Royal Highness are in the South Wing, at Han Seungwoo-ssi's room," came back the report and the two wasted no more time, hurried steps bringing them to where the best friends are.

They arrived just in time to see Seungwoo closing the door to his bedroom behind him with Hangyul clinging like a kid to his left arm, all stomping feet, puppy eyes, and pouty lips while the oldest had his free hand on Yohan's head, mussing up the history professor's mop of hair.

Wooseok frowned at the beaming smile Yohan gave Seungwoo, despite Yohan's hair now sticking to different directions. The sight irked him endlessly and at the chuckle he heard to his left, Wooseok knew Seungyoun will not let him live this one down.  _ Fuck Cho Seungyoun and the endless teasing. God. _

"Someone's jealous," Seungyoun singsonged as they both halted in their tracks, watching the two best friends practically wagging their imaginary puppy tails at the older, as if Seungwoo had a treat to give them. 

"Shut up and get your prince," Wooseok muttered between his teeth, eyes still trained on Yohan acting all cute for someone else that wasn't him.

"Gyullie!!!" Seungyoun called out as he approached the three, making Hangyul whip his head towards the sound of his favorite person's voice calling his name.

"Oh, Seungyoun hyung!" the prince bounded towards his boyfriend almost with a spring to his steps, completely forgetting about Seungwoo & Yohan as he met Seungyoun halfway.

"Your Highness," Seungyoun greeted with a soft  _ oof _ as the younger practically leapt into his arms. "I bet you have no idea that you've once again caused a slight panic when no one could seem to locate you," he playfully scolded with a click of his tongue, rocking back and forth with Hangyul still in his embrace.

If he thought Hangyul's styled hair and dashing blue suit looked extremely attractive, he didn't comment on it. He will make sure to do so though, later, when it's finally just the two of them.

The slightly scolding tone on the older's voice made Hangyul gasp guiltily. "I'm sorry," he singsonged before he patted Seungyoun's arms to be let go. "It's just that Seungwoo hyung--"

"You two are being summoned by the PR Team," Wooseok interrupted their moment, with a professionally urgent tone to his voice.

"What do you mean?" Seungyoun said, "_I _ _ am _ the PR Team," to which Hangyul berated him with a soft slap on the arm.

"Shush. You're just the head of the PR Team, hyung," the prince said, casting an embarrassed glance at Wooseok's direction. "We'll head over to the meeting hall right away, Wooseok-ssi," he promptly said, all formal and business-like this time. Then he turned to Seungyoun and dragged him by the wrist, "Let's go--"

" _ Wooseok hyung _ ," Wooseok said, before the two disappeared, making Hangyul stop in his tracks and turn to him slowly with expectant eyes that were just too endearing, even to Wooseok.

"Pardon?" Hangyul asked, not knowing that Seungyoun had sent Wooseok a look of approval from behind him, before sneakily disappearing to meet the rest of the PR Team, giving his former lover and current one some time alone.

"You can call me  _ Wooseok hyung _ ," the older reiterated in a monotonous voice as if it was irritating to have to explain it. He cleared his throat, rolled his eyes, and raised an eyebrow at the prince who looked like he was close to tears standing before him, and absorbing the situation. "What the hell are you still doing standing here?" Wooseok asked with arms folded across his chest and chin raised stubbornly in fake annoyance.

So Hangyul just shook his head and scratched the back of his neck, wide and adorably dumb smile still splitting his face into an image of youthful innocence. "You're right," the prince breathed, "I'll get going,  _ Wooseok hyung _ ." And with that, the soon to be official Crown Prince of South Korea skipped away with light steps.

Wooseok scoffed at the childishness that the prince displayed, unsure where the sense of fondness and satisfaction stewing in his chest came from.

He knew it wasn't from the fact that Hangyul, out of the abundance of his pure heart, expressed his intent to retain Wooseok in his position as the Director of The Cho Museum after the nationwide voting resulted in favor of the Imperial Team.

On one hand, he didn't expect it after all the prejudice and the blatant antagonism he had towards Hangyul before, but on the other hand, he was starting to get used to how immensely giving & forgiving the prince was, too.

No wonder Seungyoun—and well, the rest of the nation also, it seemed—was head over heels in love with the kid. There were just not too many people like Lee Hangyul anymore, Wooseok thought, (just as the image of bunny teeth, smiling eyes that resembled two crescent moons, and milky smooth skin invaded his thoughts.)

He whipped around and found the hallway empty, realizing that Seungwoo and Yohan have evacuated the area. He heaved out a sigh. 

Yes, there weren't too many people like Hangyul, but Wooseok regarded that there was, at least one person he knew, who came really close—the prince's best friend himself. Kim Yohan.

Wooseok tucked his hands into his pockets and started heading towards the palace garden to clear his head for a few moments before the Coronation Ceremony officially commenced. That was of utmost importance as of the moment.

Half a year ago, he would have never thought that he would be in some palace somewhere, celebrating the liberating feeling that came along with not having to carry the yoke of The Cho Museum alone anymore, now that every decision is now also subject for the prince's approval. It still was important to him, of course, but Wooseok refused to let his life revolve around his museum anymore. He'd suffered more losses than gains from making that mistake of treating The Cho Museum like the center of his universe before, for years. So, probably, secondary to the Coronation Ceremony, his biggest concern now was having to process Hanshik's implied inquiry about the real score between his grandson and His Majesty. 

Wooseok could still remember the electrifying shock he got when the elderly wistfully sighed, "Our Seungyounie should work hard if he wanted to be worthy of the prince's affections..." Oh, there was so much the old man didn't know.

He didn't know if it was Hanshik's attempt to keep the Cho Conglomerates riches within the family or if Hanshik was, just like everyone else, neither immune to the prince's charms nor blind to see that beyond the title and the crown, the most valuable thing about Lee Hangyul was his heart.

So maybe he should really tell Seungyoun about Hanshik's suspicions (which were true anyways). Besides, it wasn't like the two were keeping their relationship discreet. They could be sickeningly sappy when they spent time together outside of a professional setting. Wooseok was sure that even the palace maids and guards had caught on something also. (Thank God for whoever invented Non-Disclosure clauses on employment contracts.)

But then again, maybe he should let the ball roll to wherever it may and leave the sleuthing to Hanshik himself. The old geezer was more than capable to get to the bottom of any question he might need answers to, anyway. Besides, Wooseok has his own plate full with the rising urgency to untangle the loose ends of his consonance with a certain Kim Yohan, too.

"Wooseokie hyung. I thought I'd see you here."

_Speak of the devil._

"Oh, Yohannie," Wooseok schooled his features to a neutral expression and acknowledged the younger's presence, feeling his cheeks warm, and failing to notice the taller figure tailing Yohan a few steps behind.

"The PR Team is assembling the entire Imperial Team at the great hall, Wooseok-ssi. Yohan and I were sent to come looking for you," Han Seungwoo explained, easily slinging an arm around Yohan's shoulder.

"Let's go, Wooseokie hyung," Yohan invited, jerking his head towards the direction from where they came, with a soft smile sent Wooseok's way making everything that wasn't actually okay yet, feel okay for now.

For now.

*

Hangyul's phone beeped inside his breast pocket as he was being escorted off the stage. And he didn't know if it was just the charged atmosphere now that the Coronation Ceremony was over, or the fact that he was now actually & officially the Crown Prince of South Korea that everything seemed to have taken a new meaning. But the accompanying vibration of the alert seemed to have suspiciously synchronised with the nervous beating of his heart perfectly.

He had a fairly good guess as to who could have such questionable timing, and he had to try not to smile goofily at how he was ninety nine percent sure it was no other than Cho Seungyoun.

So as unprofessional as it may look, and despite the flashes of the cameras trying to follow him as far as the palace guards would allow, the clamoring noises of the other media personnel present for the ceremony, and the personal bodyguards building a perimeter wall around him as he was being escorted back inside the palace, Hangyul fished his phone out of his breast pocket. And with less than five swipes of his finger, he was looking down on Seungyoun's message which read:

_"Lee Hangyul. Your Highness. Your Majesty. Prince Hangyul, Crown Prince of South Korea. Gyul. Cho Seungyoun's. Mine._

_Can't wait to celebrate this properly with you tonight, Gyullie ;)"_

Hangyul snorted, unable to refrain himself from smiling & blushing like an idiot.

Neither can he.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> annnd there you have it, guys. /sniff/ icb i actually completed this fic. FINALLY!
> 
> big thanks to all those who waited and those who ever left a comment/feedback either here or on twt or cc in the previous updates. been banking on your kind words as i worked to finish this fic.
> 
> pls pls show prince hangyul and my smol brain some love for the last time bia the comment box/twt/cc juseyooo~ 
> 
> P.S. im priv on twt (same u/n but use an "o" instead if a "0") for the time being but i accept follow reqs and read message reqs uwu *resumes crying as im forced to say gootbai to uri gyullie wangja-nim and takes final bow*
> 
> SEUNGYUL NATION KEEP RISING
> 
> [i didnt delete some of my other seungyul/nyeonjjaen fics. they're still visible to registered users or when you're logged in]


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